Behind A Veil of Silver and Green: Alex Bellmonte
by RaineArilan
Summary: ABANDONED! In the days of the Boy Who Lived, to be Slytherin was to be loathed. Few had any clue what it meant to be Pure. Those privileged few who lived in a world of edges and blades, where a single misstep could mean death. The Purebloods. Pity them.
1. Intro

A/N: Okay this isn't a one-shot poems anything. The poems(when they occassionally appear) are supposedly written by the main character, Alex, unless stated otherwise. Chapter 2, which should be up tomorrow, will have really character interaction and whatever you people look for in a fanfic. Please review.

We stand together

We stand alone

This endless struggle is all we've know

Dark Arts and gold

Expose it plain

Our heart's desire

The Dark Lord's Bane

For power was all our Dark Lord wanted

This power for which our Lord was hunted

But death brings an end to every plot

Where is our power when we burn and rot

Our end is no better than whence we came

For death makes no allowance for fame

Power is as Power does

It's uses reflect on it's bearer

We are evil people that no one loves

Our peace is found only in terror


	2. Coming Out

Reposted: 12/04/07.

All chapters are subject to being reposted at some point. The only changes will be minor, grammar, stupid writing, bad sentences, bad spelling and inconsistencies(look her eyes keep changing color!). IF there are any bigger changes, added scenes etc I will mention them in **bold**.

Also, the original A/Ns will be deleted, but I promise you that is no loss.

* * *

It was a cool night but not cold enough to cause a chill. The twenty sets of french doors lining the long sides of the oval ballroom were thrown open to use the night breeze to disperse the heat of many bodies. Alexandria Bellmonte slipped behind a potted tree and rolled her shoulders once to loosen tightened neck muscles. Receiving mild relief, she stepped lightly from her concealment. One of her classmates' parents spotted her and moved to make their formal congratulations. Such a thing was required at a girl's coming out ball amongst the upper crust of pure blood society.

"So glad you could make it, Lady Parkinson, Lord Parkinson." Alex curtsied, tilting her head in a way she knew would let one perfect black curl fall across her revealed throat and settle in the hollow at it's base.

"Every time I go to one of these I wish I had a son or that I was a decade or two younger and unmarried," Lord Parkinson commented in a way he seemed to assume was gallant. Both Alex and Lady Parkinson laughed politely.

"You flatter me, Your Lordship."

"You do look quite lovely this evening, Alexandria. I am pleased to have been here on such an important night for you. We hear nothing but good about you from Pansy."

"Thank you, Lady Parkinson. Pansy is especially close to me of all my housemates." _'Because she sleeps in my dorm, the horrid little gossip' _Alex smiled and curtsied again as they moved away.

At fourteen Alex had already developed the acid wit covered by pure grace that was her mother's legacy to her. She'd inherited her deadly drive from her father. She was a perfect blend of them both in spirit the way she was physically. Jade eyes and thick curly hair from her father, black hair and sharp, aristocratic bones from her mother.

Gathering the edge of her robes in her right hand in a way designed not to wrinkle the fabric, Alex wove expertly through the crowd. She paused outside the discreet Servants Entrance and got a nod from the head house elf that all was well. As this was her coming out ball, Alex was in charge of planning and playing hostess to the whole thing. Everything, floor to ceiling, was her responsibility and her creation.

The gown she wore tonight she'd commissioned for just this occasion. It was body hugging from hips to halfway to her elbows. From there it flowed out, alternately hugging her form and flaring out as she moved. The whole thing, from scoop neck to pearl weighted hem was made of thin white fabric shot through with silver threads.

The ballroom itself was made of gold and white marble. Emerald cloth draped from the ceiling, white gauze 'curtained' the open french doors and the tapestry of the Bellmonte Coat of Arms hung about the massive doorway leading into the entry hall.

All in all it was perfect, and if Alex was anything other than the coldly cynical person she was, she would surely be waiting anxiously for her 'prince charming' to arrive. Just as that thought finished crossing her mind a most ironically amusing thing happened. Draco Malfoy appeared in the entry hall doorway. He paused there and casually scanned the room.

Alex didn't frown…outwardly. Where were his parents? She would have known if Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were in her ballroom but there was no way Draco would have shown up if his parents weren't with him forcing attendance. She and he were passing acquaintances, but not real friends. They were both alphas in their social groups, and neither shared well. If at all possible Alex avoided the other pureblood. The only time she'd ever done anything involving Draco Malfoy in any great amount had been a week long Slytherin hunting spree last year, after final exams, when all the other houses had relaxed. They'd been assigned a pair of sixth year Gryffindors to jinx. They'd pulled it off surprisingly easily considering they were both in third year at the time. Considering they hadn't spoken ten sentences to each other the whole time.

Narcissa appeared and then Lucius joined her flanking Draco. Her parents appeared next and the mystery was solved. The Malfoys must have been the last important guests to arrive and had stayed to talk with her parents in the hall while sending Draco on ahead. She moved towards them, hoping to catch all three at once and get her duties over with. To her disappointment Draco was gone by the time she arrived. She smiled up at Lucius.

"Good evening, my Lord. How pleasant of you to come." She turned to Narcissa. "Lady Aunt, how are you?" Truthfully Narcissa wasn't her aunt, but her mother had been an old school friend of hers in Hogwarts so somehow Alex had ended calling her Lady Aunt.

"Quite well, Alexa. You've managed to pull this off wonderfully." If Alex calling her Lady Aunt was strange, Narcissa calling her Alexa was just as...off. But of course such quirks were accepted in among the Great Families. Even if anyone wanted to object, would they really risk complete destruction over something as small as this?

"Thank you, both for the compliment and for coming."

"The honor is ours," Lucius informed her with his always perfect civil aloofness.

"Go on, Alexandria." Her mother, Deana, ordered without it seeming to be one. "Surely our adult chatterings will be boring for you."

"Of course, mother. I shall be near at hand if you need to summon me."

She caught a dark glance from her mother as she left. Well. Perhaps that _had_ been a little over the top. Whatever else she was, Alex was not known for her humble obedience. She very nearly broke into a smile.

Winding once more through the crowded ballroom, Alex stopped to exchange polite nothings with a few people before finally making it to the set of french doors that led to a balcony terrace. The white curtains did much to block out the noise and light of the inside party. Alex leaned her arms on top of the railing and looked down on the shadow covered gardens. She started to sigh but it came out as a yawn.

"These things bore you as much as they bore me?"

Alex tensed, fear flaring to life at the thought of being snuck up on while on _her_ home ground. She veiled her expression and turned toward the voice. Draco Malfoy stood half concealed by the open door at the far end of the balcony. Everything about him seemed to scream refined boredom.

Feeling somewhat less than charitable due to her fright Alex rested an elbow on the rail and flashed a cold smile. "The only kind of excitement that could occur at one of these isn't something I think I want to experience…Draco was it?"

That last was pure vanity on her part. After all, who didn't know who Draco Malfoy was on sight?

"Are you trying to say," Draco shrugged off the wall he was leaning on and moved towards her, out of the shadows. The moonlight made his hair positively glow when he shifted into it. "that you don't know who I am?" His smirk hovered between amused and angry.

An interesting combination considering the circumstance, she noted cautiously.

"I merely mean that our formal introduction was such a _long_ time ago and that I've spoken to you twice since then, if you count this as one. Such an acquaintance is not conducive to a private conversation on the garden terrace, without an escort, _or_ the sharing of a confidence, _Mr._ Malfoy."

"Oh?" Draco continued his forward motion. "I doubt your family would raise any objections to _us_ and I'm sure mine wouldn't care. Who else would dare object?" By the time he was done he was a little too close and whispering his words right in her face.

Alex jerked up her chin and refused to allow him to force her to take a step back. "Draco Malfoy," she kept her voice as low as his had been. "I look at you and I don't see anything I might want. There is no _us_ and there never will be. Now if you don't mind," Alex glanced too-nicely at him, then twisted past him so that he ended up stumbling against the rail. She paused, one hand on the edge of the door and smiled. "I have guests to see to. Good evening, Draco."

* * *

Draco Malfoy paced the length of his suite, plotting revenge.

"That arrogant bitch," he snarled, stung by the memory of her words. No one spoke to a _Malfoy_ that way! He was never rejected by his own kind. "They all know what happens to those who oppose the Malfoys! When I tell my father about-" Draco stopped short.

There was no way he would ever let his father find out about tonight's…scene. For starters Lucius would probably laugh him out of his office. Alex was a Bellmonte _and_ Draco had started it. Then, even if he did do something about the situation, it would just as likely be Draco who would receive the brunt of his father's anger as Alex. And lastly…Draco grinned. Lastly _he_ wanted to be the one to bring this girl to heel.

That anyone would talk to him in such a manner frustrated him. That she was a Bellmonte and as such allowed to talk to anyone however she damn well pleased just made it worse.

"Oh, she'll learn the error of her ways." Draco promised himself. "She will respect me. I'll make her."

But teaching a Bellmonte anything was, and had always been, a dangerous proposition for all involved. If word ever reached her family that Draco Malfoy was harassing her, he'd be hearing from his father…at the very least. That just meant he'd have to watch his step and cover his tracks better than with the Gryffindors. Draco started to laugh.

And here he'd been thinking this coming term would be boring.


	3. A Visit

Reposted: 12/04/07 fixing bad spelling, bad grammar and other typos etc etc.

* * *

"Lady Bellmonte." Draco flashed her a charming smile. "Is Alex in?"

"Of course Draco darling." Deana Bellmonte then proceeded to do the thing she'd been doing to Draco since before he could walk. She patted him gently on the top of his head. "She's out back. Follow me."

Draco followed her out to the balcony he'd met Alex on a few nights ago and then down some steps at the far end of it. The Bellmonte's vast gardens lay before him, Alex walking among the flowering trees her unbound hair glinting faintly blue in the sunlight.

"Alex." Her mother called, beckoning her over. Alex glanced up and obediently moved towards them. "Draco has come to pay you a visit."

Draco smirked to himself when he noticed Alex's step had faltered at the use of his name. He offered Alex a charming smile and a mocking wave when she met his eyes.

"Good afternoon, Draco." Alex offered him a smile but nothing else. She turned to her mother. "If you don't mind we'll hang out in the garden, Mother."

"That's fine. Just stay within view of the Manor. I'll talk to you again before you leave Mr. Malfoy." Deana disappeared back into the house, acting, for all the world, like this wasn't a hell-freezing-over type event.

"Two conversations with Draco Malfoy in three days, and _you_ seeking _me_ out. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Alex led the way confidently through a maze of plant lined pathways, extending her stride to keep a little a ahead of him at all times.

"Your comment the other night brought to light a gaping hole in the relationships between our two families."

"And you decided to fix that?" Alex glanced over at him dryly. "What kind of relationship do you think we're supposed to be having?"

"Come now, Alex." Draco was acting quite superior and enjoying every minute of it. "The Malfoys and the Bellmontes have been allies since the Dark Ages. Surely the heirs to our two Houses should at least be on speaking terms."

"What's this?" Alex mimed astonishment. "Have you suddenly grown a social conscience?"

"Is that so shocking?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I'd as soon say you've developed a heart."

Draco moved ahead of her a few feet and plucked a pink rose from one of the bushes. "Like it or not, Alex," he turned and offered her the flower. "I've made it my mission to learn everything I can about you."

Alex smiled and accepted the rose. While his fingers were still caught in hers she reached up with her other hand and grabbed hold of his ear, yanking it down on level with her mouth. "The more you know, the shorter your life will be. I may be a girl and I may be your age but I am a Bellmonte. Why don't you start by learning that."

She released him and he laughed. "Oh, I've never forgotten what you are, Alex. It's the only reason you're not in chains."

Alex smirked and jerked her head towards the house. "Kinky. We should head back before mother comes looking for you."

Draco matched her smirk. "As a beautiful lady once said, 'kinky'." He bowed. "After you."

"You'll have to choose, Draco," She commented airily. "No man in history has ever been able to handle _two_ Bellmonte women…and my father's the jealous type." Alex paused on the grass ahead of him. "Of course it would be funny to watch him blow you up. In fact, I highly recommend you develop a taste for older women."

Draco glared at her retreating back before running to catch up. How was it that she always managed to turn his perfect comebacks against him?

They burst from the gardens near the front of the house as opposed to the back where they'd entered. Deana Bellmonte came out the front door. "Is everything alright?" she drawled without any real concern.

"We're fine, mother. Truly. Draco has an appointment he needs to get to. He just wanted to stop by and make sure we'd all recovered from the ball." Alex glared at Draco from over her mother's shoulder, daring him to call her liar.

Draco smirked, not caring. Her lie only supported his, casting him in a better light to her parents. "I am afraid I don't have the time I'd like to spend with you today. I will make it up to you both, if you'll forgive me for dashing off." Draco wasn't sure when the last time was that he'd had this much fun. He hadn't played Society Boy for years and the fact that there was revenge at the end of this game only made it better.

"Of course we forgive you. How could we help but not? Stop by any time Draco. You're always welcome here." Deana waved at Draco's retreating form.

There was a pile of galleons at the guard booth for the front gate. All you had to do was say the name of your destination while picturing it and the pre-made port key would calibrate to your chosen destination. Never let it be said that the Bellmonte's did not accommodate their guests.

The instant he disappeared from view Deana turned to her daughter all 'niceness' gone from her being. "Why are you getting visits from Draco Malfoy that last just long enough for threats to be exchanged and no longer?"

"You needn't fear mother. We merely exchanged pleasantries. He seems to think that we, he and I, should be friends in order to continue the family tradition of alliance."

"See that you become nothing more than 'friends'. We are _allies_ with Malfoys. We do not _trust_ Malfoys and we do not _marry_ Malfoys."

"Again, _mother_," Alex's voice took on an edge. "you need not fear. I could never trust Draco Malfoy and I have no intention of marrying him. Blondes aren't my type." Alex flashed a cold smile and disappeared into the house.

Deana watched her go. "I think I'd better have a talk with her father. The first thing I ever thought about Franklin was 'red heads aren't my type." Disturbed Deana went to find her red haired husband.


	4. Social Conscious

Reposted: 12/04/07 fixing bad spelling, bad grammar and other typos etc etc.

* * *

"Alex. What a surprise? I had no idea you would be here today." Draco looked up from his circle of sycophants and grinned at her

"I've never been known for my lack of social involvement, Draco." Alex smiled back. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Draco's smile flickered briefly. Her poke at his own, less than stellar, record of social attendance was so well aimed he doubted anyone else noticed it.

"Isn't it great, Alex?" Julia Flint, cousin to the Slytherin Quidditch captain, bubbled up next to Draco. "Draco Malfoy _and_ Alexandria Bellmonte both at _my_ event! You're never both at the same thing unless the other person is throwing it!"

"There's never been an event quite like this one, so why wouldn't we come?" Alex smiled at the eternally cheerful second year. The girl's comments were true. Due to their overwhelming social influence Narcissa and Deana tried to coordinate so that neither family presented overwhelming support for any other, lesser, family. They also tried not to have both family names represented at any one event.

"Indeed. When I read the invitation I couldn't wait to attend," Draco commented, amused. "With all the effort your father put into getting clearances from the Ministry this ought to be quite entertaining."

No one was completely sure what tonight's, 'extraordinary entertainment' was going to be. All anyone knew was that it had taken a ton of money to bribe the clearances out of the Ministry of Magic...not that that was anything new mind you, but there had been rumors circulating over the nature of the show for weeks. However it turned out it promised endless fun for Alex. Either it would live up to its hype or it would be terrible and then she'd get to abuse the Flints for a few months.

"I agree. What more could one ask for but a beautiful day," Alex gestured first to the clear blue sky overhead then to the circle of teenagers around her, "and wonderful companions to share it with?"

"The beauty of the day pales in comparison with the company," Draco put in smoothly. The girls in the circle sighed softly.

"How charming of you, Draco," Alex responded, trying to divine his game.

"Aren't I though?"

"And arrogant, too." She noticed the quickly concealed horror on nearly every face around her. _No one_ spoke to a Malfoy that way! It wasn't done! But she was a Bellmonte! Who was going to stop her?

Alex could almost hear the headaches forming. She suppressed a grin.

"How kind of you to notice. I've been working on developing that trait lately." Draco's gaze flickered briefly from her toes to her head. "You've developed some new interesting traits yourself recently, Alex."

"Oh, yes." Alex grinned, purposefully mistaking his meaning and continuing cheerfully. "I've become fluent in two more spell languages and my mother has finally gotten around to teaching me her collection of castration spells."

Draco choked on the punch someone had offered him. There was a flurry of concerned female voices offering him everything from a napkin or towel to a new drink or a new shirt.

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, ladies. He'll be fine. I think he's just allergic to something nearby." She extracted herself from the group. "I have other people I simply must greet. I'll talk to you all later.

* * *

Alex managed to avoid Draco for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't until later that night that she met up with him again. The 'entertainment' had finished...and had turned out to be quite pathetic, a display of "Fire works" and other forms of Muggle explosives.

She'd been sitting on the grass, enjoy the cool night air and the quiet, Muggle explosives really do live up to the name you know, when _he_ approached her.

"Alex, come for a walk with me?"

Alex glanced up at Darius Goyle, older brother of one of Draco's cronies. Alex had never liked him. He was large, strong and not at all opposed to using those attributes to get what he wanted...no matter what it was or who objected. "I'm rather tired, Darius. I think I'll just stay here and rest." She offered him an apologetic smile that conveyed some level of exhaustion.

"I know something that will re-energize you faster than any amount of sitting and resting." Darius seized her hands and hauled her to her feet. "Come on, Alex. I won't take no for an answer."

"Excuse me?!" Alex tried to pull her hands free and that only resulted in Darius closing his grip around her wrists tight enough to hurt.

Alex never knew why Draco Malfoy appeared beside her. She only knew he did and she had never been more grateful for his presence...though she never knew the why of that either. It wasn't like she couldn't blast the big man into the dirt is she wanted to…. well, if she needed to.

"I highly recommend you remove your hands from her." Draco's voice was low and anything but pleasant. He slid one arm around Alex's waist.

She tensed, but then she realized what he was going for and, playing along, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I do think I'll need use of my hands before the night is over, Darius. Draco might object otherwise." Alex widened her eyes and smirked knowingly. "The Malfoy men are known for being jealous."

Apparently her not-so-subtle comments were enough to remind Goyle that he was facing off a Bellmonte and a Malfoy...and the Malfoy seemed to be angry with him. Alex suddenly found herself in possession of her own hands again.

"Perhaps you should leave."

Alex wondered if the air had dropped in temperature due to Draco's tone or if it was just her. Apparently Darius discovered the effect too because he disappeared into the night without a sound...an amazing feat for such a large man.

"You're alright." Draco was still glaring off after Darius.

"Of course I am!" It struck Alex that he'd just commanded her to be alright, not asked if she was. She started to remove herself from his grip. "I was handling it you know."

Draco finally looked down at her, tightening his grip on her waist. "I was handling it better. I doubt he'll ever speak to you again as long as he thinks you belong to me."

"I don't belong to anybody, Draco! Few men have ever handled being in a relationship with a Bellmonte woman. _No one_ has ever owned one!" Alex tried to rip away again.

"Stop that." Draco commanded. "I'm trying to talk to you."

"And I'm trying to leave. It would seem our interests conflict."

"Why do you think I'm your enemy, Alex?" His voice seemed impossibly soft.

"I don't know, Draco. Maybe the threats and the leering?" Alex realized she wasn't angry any more. Just... tired.

"What can I say?" He spread his arms, releasing her, and smiled. "I'm a product of my society."

"Sadly, true."

"Keep going to these things, Alex. Maybe I'll show up to another one." Draco smirked, suddenly every inch the jerk she hated. He disappeared into the night. Alex stared after him, confused.

"What just happened?" she breathed softly to herself. "How the hell did he manage that?"

Round Four: Complete. Winner: Draco Malfoy.


	5. Enter the Detharts

Reposted: 12/04/07 fixing bad spelling, bad grammar and other typos etc etc. Originally one long scene, with an amazing ability to swap from Hunter's POV to Alex's and back again, it is now two scenes with only a few extra sentences stuck in to facilitate the transitions.

(PS: Part of the Original A/N: "The Detharts are entirely the creation of my very dear authoress friend Jaylyn Gilfer Bustinex but since we struck a deal where she has use of Alex as a minor character in her fanfics I get to play with these idiots.")

* * *

"Oh, flaming dragon shite!" Alex swore under her breath. She was in Diagon Alley, passing the time with some shopping, and had just spotted Falon Dethart making his way towards her, brother Hunter trailing behind. "Frickin' Dethart parasites."

"Alex!"

She turned at Falon's call and smiled in greeting. "Hunter!" She hugged the older brother lightly. "Hello, Falon." While she didn't like any of the Dethart boys Hunter was, by far, higher up the evolutionary chain than Falon-the-Stupid. "What are you two doing here?"

"Shopping, of course." Falon held a package wrapped in brown parchment aloft as proof. Alex waited for Hunter to answer, not _quite_ ignoring Falon.

"Doing some last minute errands before we have to come back in a week and get all our new Hogwarts supplies."

"You're going into fifth year, Hunter?" Alex was sure he was, she knew the ages of all three Dethart children off the top of her head. Hunter was oldest at a year and two months older than her, middle was Falon, Alex's year and older than her by four months, and the youngest child was a girl named Tania that was eight months Alex's junior.

"Yes. O.W.L.s this year."

"Oh, you poor thing." Alex was all sweetness and sympathy. She linked arms with Hunter, angling so Falon had to stand on Hunter's other side if he wanted to see her… which he did, thank Merlin! Together they moved down the alley. "I'm sure you'll do fine though. You _are_ a Dethart."

Whether he didn't know what to say, or if he just didn't want to be the topic of conversation, Hunter neatly redirected it. "What were you shopping for, Alex? Anything we could help you find?"

And _that_ was the reason Alex liked Hunter, even if only just a little. She smiled. "I'm on a search for an extra copy of some books my parents won't let me take to Hogwarts with me. They say that since we only have one copy in the library they can't risk losing them."

"Onward to Flourish and Blotts!" Falon proclaimed.

Alex cast a disparaging glance across Hunter's chest at him. "Do you really think anything from the Bellmonte library that is too valuable for my parents to risk losing would be sold in Flourish and Blotts? I'm heading for Jackle's. If they can't get them for me I'll try my luck deeper in Knockturn." Alex shrugged off the mention of the 'less than reputable' area off Diagon Alley casually.

Falon fell silent, at fourteen he hadn't been allowed in Knockturn Alley without a parent yet. His father had said that he would be allowed when they came back for their school supplies. Hunter glanced down at her.

"My offer for an escort still stands, Alex. I'd be happy to see you around Knockturn. Falon will have to stay here though."

Alex almost sighed in relief. Despite her bravado she hadn't been down Knockturn Alley without an escort of one kind or another before. She _was_ only fourteen. "Thank you, Hunter. Offer accepted. And if you'll forgive us for abandoning you, Falon, I'll treat you to anything you want out of The Apothecary. I have some potion ingredients I'm running low on as well."

Since there really was no way for him to disagree with her Falon left them, grumbling under his breath as soon as he thought he was out of earshot.

The other two teens moved into Knockturn. The air seemed to darken just by stepping into this part of the street. Four shops down and on the left was Jackle's Book Store. Hunter held the door open for Alex to enter first. She moved slowly among the racks of books, loving the musty old smell of them sometimes under cut with hints of potion ingredients or old blood. Though their entry made no sound a white haired wizard in faded black robes appeared from a back room almost instantly.

"Ah! Mistress Bellmonte. Master Dethart. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Mister Jackle." Alex stepped up to his counter. "I'm looking for an extra copy of a few things so I don't have to put my studies on hold when I go off to Hogwarts this fall." She pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and handed it over. Jackle leaned over it for a few minutes, occasional 'hmm'-ing softly to himself.

"Well," he said finally. "I can get you A Life Of Shadows, A Theory On Death, Little Actions, Big Revenge, To Walk With Darkness, and By Moonlight right away. They can be shipped to your house by the end of tomorrow. In The End It's All Evil, Relative Killing: A Comprehensive Guide, and The Making of Sinister Potions and The Effects That Made Them Illegal will all take longer. I may be able to get them before you come back to buy your school supplies, but I can't promise anything. As for Pain and Blood Magic: Spells and Potions, now Mistress Bellmonte," He looked at Alex sorrowfully, "you know that there's only one copy left of each in the world and that they reside in your library."

Alex just smiled. "I know. But I had to try. It was easier than talking my parents into letting me have them."

"A formidable task, I'm sure."

Her smile extended on the edges into a real smile. As Jackle knew both of her parents well, from a long life of patronage, he really did know how funny he was being. The dry old man dropped one eyelid in what might, just might, have been a wink.

* * *

The world was swirling within his mind and Hunter was trying very hard to figure out who had hexed his ears. He stared at the thin little girl, barely older and barely bigger than his little sister as she leaned on the counter and chatted with one of the oldest and most powerful shopkeeper in Knockturn. The very same girl who had just placed an order for books Hunter recognized for one reason and one reason only.

Nearly every single title he'd just heard had been a book his father had been trying to get his hands on for as long as Hunter could remember. How, how, _how_ could this girl just walk into Jackle's and order them like a new set of robes? And they'll be delivered to her house by _tomorrow_?! What strange reality had he fallen into?!

Not to mention, _not_ to mention, that a fourteen year old was studying such high level Dark Arts texts. The fact that she was Alex _Bellmonte_ finally, for the first time in his life, settled into his brain. He had always thought of her as he thought of his sister. A sweet little girl he needed to look after, within the rules of society. It was people like her parents, the Lord and Lady Malfoy and Draco that Hunter had long since learned to be wary of. And even now, as he watched her, he still couldn't quite make himself believe what his mind was telling him. He swallowed hard and Alex seemed to notice his discomfort.

"Something wrong, Hunter?"

"Uh, no. I just wasn't expecting…" he trailed off.

"What?" Alex mocked innocence. "My reading habits?" She glanced back at Jackle. "I'll take it all the way you said. I'll be back in a week to pick up my last three books. You can put that all on my tab. Good day, Mr. Jackle."

Alex turned his away. He offered her his arm automatically, his mind still racing, and she took it as they left the shop.

"You do realize you'll have to keep your mouth shut about this don't you, Hunter?" Alex spoke conversationally as they stepped onto sunlit Diagon Alley.

Hunter hesitated, his scattered thoughts finally freezing up. Logically Alex was apparently just as much of a threat as his father if something happened to her. On top of that there were her dangerous family connections… but that wasn't what made Hunter make his decision. "I wasn't planning on it." He frowned. "I wouldn't subject you to what my father would do if he found out you had those books." He wouldn't subject _anyone_ to his father if he could help it. Of course, that was the rub, wasn't it? 'If he could help it.'

Alex shot him a sharp glance that stopped him in his tracks. "I had no idea your father was reaching for things so high above his head," she said flatly, her eyes narrowing in calculation. "It was a joke Hunter… but still…"

Hunter stood still, unsure if he should offer some word of comfort, but at the same time strangely unwilling to do so. If she decided he was a threat…

"Would he really come after me?" she asked finally, her voice hard. "Over a handful of books? Would he risk his entire House?"

Again Hunter hesitated. This was Family Stuff, not to be spoken to an outsider, but she deserved to know if she was in danger. "If he finds out a fourteen year old girl has the books he's been hunting after for decades…" he said slowly, finding the truth hard after years of lies. "…well, your Family name won't protect you. He'll do anything to get his hands on those. Absolutely anything."

Alex let go of his arm and turned to face him. Her eyes were razor sharp, but there was some weird kind of compassion on her lips. "You don't need to worry about me, Hunter," she said, trying to reassure him. "I can protect myself. Even from your father." She hesitated then rushed on. "I _have_ killed before, Hunter. I ca-"

"So?!" Falon's sudden appearance beside her cut her words short. "Are we going potions shopping or what?"

Hunter fought the desire to punch his brother Falon. Alex glared violent murder but, as usual Falon seemed oblivious to the emotional undercurrents around him. As _always_ he only knew that he was happy, which meant everyone must be happy.

Hunter glanced down at Alex, some rude dismissal of his brother blowing to life on his lips, but she shook her head.

"Of course we are." Alex smiled with chilly politeness. "Lead the way."


	6. Blood and Pain

Reposted: 12/04/07, edited for typos etc. In **Bold** is one semi-important change. Originally the Fidelius Charm, the name/content of the protection spell has changed. It was always a different spell anyway, I was just to lazy to write up a spell for it.(I'm still too lazy to do a full spell, considering how complex something like this would be, but I did give it a name). As usual, I explain all original spells in the ending A/N.

PS: YES, it is short. It was a long time ago.

* * *

"So, you got all your books." Alex's mother informed her when she returned from Diagon Alley.

"No. I got most but nobody but us have copies of Pain and Blood Magic. You have to let me take those with me, Mother. I'll have them back to you by the Holidays but I can't just stop in the middle and I can't finish between now and school."

"You _can't_?" a male voice spoke softly behind her. Alex turned to find her father had emerged from his study. She knew instantly that she'd screwed up because she hadn't been paying attention.

"No, sir," Alex hurried to correct herself. "I am entirely capable of completing those texts in the time allotted but not if I'm still required to eat, sleep or keep up with any of my social appearances."

He nodded just slightly, accepting her response. Alex didn't sigh in relief though. There was still her mother and her request to deal with.

"So," her mother continued, "because you believe you _cannot_ do without an invaluable text then we _must_ let you take it to your school where anyone could see it, read it, steal it or turn you in for having it?"

"Every consequence you just mentioned could occur with any of my Dark texts. Are you suggesting that I, as a Bellmonte, should cease my true studies while I seek after an 'education' at Hogwarts?"

Her mother's expression closed. Alex repressed a flinch and met Deana's blistering gaze as calmly as possible. Painfully tense moments of silence ticked by, her father just watching them with a smug look on his face.

Just when Alex began to consider the possibility that she'd made a mistake, and would probably get punished to hell and back for it, Deana nodded.

"You may take them. I'll put them in your room and we'll put the **Spiritus Obligatus Fido **on the whole collection at once. _Your_ blood will fuel the spells this time." Taking her skirt in her hand, Alex's mother swept coldly from the hall.

Her father laughed, an unpleasant sound. "Now we'll see what you're really made of," he said before he, too, left the hall.

Alex shivered at the sudden chill. All too late she'd registered her mother's last sentence. The amount of blood required to perform all the spells on all of her books... All _her_ blood and all of it fresh at the time of the casting. She shivered again and thanked whatever heavenly being might exist that nearly bleeding out was all she would have to pay. It wasn't likely. As Alex climbed slowly to her room she began to count the days til Hogwarts.

Alex didn't even look up from _Pain_ when a House Elf entered her bedroom. It wasn't until it moved up to her headboard, prostrate itself before her and squeaked, "Mistress, The Mistress sends a message," that Alex shifted the gaze to it.

"Well?" she demanded impatiently.

"Mistress, you are commanded to prepare for your attendance at the Malfoy's gathering."

"Shit!" Alex rolled off her bed, still swearing. "I forgot!" She yanked her robes over her head and began to haul her hair from its casual braid.

Turning, comb in one hand, jewelry in the other and completely naked, Alex caught sight of the still prostrate Elf.

"Get out!"

It scuttled to the door but squeaked fearfully, "The Mistress requires a response."

"Well, go tell her I'm preparing, you rodent!" Alex commanded, casually slapping it. It didn't even wince, just disappeared out the door.

"Useless animal," she muttered, turning back to her jewelry choices. "I hope that isn't one of the ones we're breeding from."

* * *

A/N:

**Spiritus – Breath/breathing, Life/soul(latin)**

**Obligatus – bound, under obligation(Latin)**

**Fido – abiding, loyal, faithful(Italian)**

**Basically, a blood magic Fidelius Charm**


	7. Malfoy Manor

A/N: Reposted 10/21/07. As with all my reposts, all the important content has remained the same. Just some details, typos and grammar was changed.

* * *

The Malfoy Manor was the dark twin of her own home. The architectural style was nearly identical between the two, having been built in the same period; but where Bellmonte Manor had cream marble and warm woods, Malfoy Manor was built entirely from pure black stone and silver. Thus, unimpressed by the imposing façade, Alex stepped lightly up the stairs, her port-key gallon slipping into an inner pocket. A human servant, opened the front door for her. Alex twitched slightly at the showy display of wealth among those with ready access to House elves, then considered the source. Mentally rolling her eyes she handed off her cloak. Relieved from the length of silk Alex unobtrusively settled her strapless, dark green gown before moving confidently forward into the three-story entry hall. She caught a glimpse of someone else slipping away into the next room as she approached Lucius and Narcissa and curtsied.

"My Lord, Lady Aunt. My parents send their regrets. They had unavoidable business and will arrive later."

"Understandable." Lucius was as imperturbable as ever. She barely spared his mask-like face a glance.

"Draco's inside, Alexa," Narcissa added, shooing her along.

If she hadn't known better she'd have said they didn't want to have to bother themselves with her. She rolled her eyes for real as she obediently stepped into the ballroom. She _didn't_ know any better.

Whatever else she would've thought on the subject vanished into the cosmos as the decor hit her head on. The inside of the massive ballroom was completely different than usual. To put a fine point on it, everything, absolutely everything, inanimate was made of silver. Even the walls were covered in silver woven cloth. And Alex had no doubt most all of it was real.

She was suddenly glad she'd chosen dark green with black accents for her outfit. Anything more cheerful, and thus more suited to the summer setting, would've clashed badly. In fact, as she scanned the crowd, Alex noted that just about everyone _but_ her was clashing to one degree or another.

Pansy walked up to her as she stood, observing the crowd. "It's so cute!" she exclaimed mockingly, her eyebrow up. "You and Draco. But really, Alex, I expected _you_ to be more subtle at least."

Before Alex could demand to know what the hell she was talking about Pansy had disappeared into the crush, leaving behind a faint feeling of unease. It was only an empty revenge to notice that Pansy's yellow gown looked particularly horrendous against the silver.

Cautiously weaving her way into the crush, Alex spotted Draco and immediately understood Pansy's comment. Draco was dressed in crisp black pants and a loose set of dress robes. Underneath was a tight, pressed shirt in a deep green the exact shade of her gown. It seemed, to all appearances, as if they'd chosen to wear accenting outfits, hers deep green with black, Draco's black with green. Sighing, Alex changed her course and moved towards him with a shake of her head. The better to get this over with quickly.

"Draco. Good evening."

He looked up and smiled. Alex felt her mouth curving into a matching grin. She firmly fought the compulsion. The smooth idiot.

"Good evening, Alex. How are you?"

"I'm quite well. And you?"

"Looking forward to school. Alex, you know the Detharts, don't you?" Apparently remembering his social duty, Draco gestured to his three companions.

"Not as well as I'd like." Alex offered the other girl her hand. "Tania, correct?"

"Yeah, she doesn't get out a lot." Falon interjected himself into the conversation.

Tania quietly shook Alex's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Bellmonte," she said softly.

"Oh _please_." Alex smiled at the younger girl. "Call me Alex. It's a shame I haven't met you before. I'll have to start asking my parents to invite you specifically to our gatherings."

Falon hid a flash of anger, but wasn't quite fast enough about it. Hunter just looked grateful. Alex came to the conclusion that it wasn't Tania's own choice that kept her close to home.

Tania inclined her head gracefully towards Alex but said nothing.

"You really needn't trouble yourself, Alex," Falon said, all smoothness and slime.

"Oh don't worry, Falon. I never do anything that troubles me." Alex used her intense dislike of Falon to put a mental marker on the 'Invite-Tania' thought. If Falon had just kept his mouth shut she might have forgotten. Now, however, she'd do just about anything to get Tania to put in an appearance at whatever social engagements she thought she could get away with. Just out of spite.

"It's true." Draco confirmed, carefully filing away the entire scene for future use. "She's quite self-gratifying mostly."

"Well, someone has to do it for me." Alex shrugged off Draco's comment. "I might as well stick to someone I know I can trust to do it right."

Hunter chuckled. Alex suddenly realized that the Detharts were watching the conversation avidly. Glancing at Draco she saw that he'd come to the same conclusion.

"So, Pansy approached me as I came in. Seems to think our outfits were 'cute', Draco." Alex abruptly changed the topic, not wanting her and Draco's feud to become public if it didn't need to.

"Why?" Draco all but sneered.

"Cause they are."

Alex barely heard Tania's whisper but it seemed everyone else had caught it too. She glanced over at the girl but before she could do anything Falon casually laid a hand on Tania's shoulder. The girl paled, the lack of blood in her face emphasizing the deep red of her gown. Hunter subtly tensed.

Alex laughed lightly. "The girl speaks truth." Stepping forward she threw an arm around Tania's shoulders, 'accidentally' dislodging Falon in the process. "Pansy said they were cute, Draco _cause they are_. Deal with it."

Draco contented himself with a second long withering glare before putting on his Society Face again. "Well, if you three think them _cute_ who am I to argue?"

"Never argue with women, Draco. You'll live longer." Alex grinned and turned to her companion. "Care to mingle with me, Tania?"

Alex saw Hunter place a hand on his brother's shoulder, as casually as Falon had a moment before. This time it was Falon who tensed, but much more visibly.

"I'd hate to impose." Tania continued to be soft spoken.

Alex sighed dramatically. "_What_ is with people thinking I'm doing them favors?! Alexandria Bellmonte does _not_ do charity! Come on, Tani. Let's ditch these boys."

A look of utter astonishment crossed Tania's face before she regained control of her features. "If you put it that way I'd be delighted."

"Good. Now you boys play nice. I'll bring your sister back in mostly one piece." Alex waved a hand over her shoulder at the group she'd just left.

* * *

"Draco, what do you think you're doing?!" Alex glanced around at the long dim hallway that ran along the top edge of the entry hall ceiling. "Why did you need to talk to me up here?" She pulled futilely against his grip on her wrists. Draco had approached her in the ballroom moments before and asked for a private word. It seemed his idea of a private word involved imprisoning her hands.

"Alex." Draco stopped and turned to face her, light glinting off his pale gray eyes. Before she could speak again he stepped close and kissed her. Alex stumbled back and found her spine pressed against the black wood molding on the wall. Draco kept pace with her and the kiss never faltered. As she rapidly ran out of oxygen and recovered her wits, what was happening found its way into her brain. Yanking at his tightening grip on her left hand, Alex got it loose and raked her nails across his neck. He leapt back with a yell.

"What the hell…?!" His gaze was pure venom.

"Draco Malfoy. If you _ever_ touch me again I won't just scratch your neck I will slit it! From ear to ear!" Alex raced for the staircase, groping in her pocket for her galleon. Once her feet found the floor of the entry hall she looked around for the servant. He was nowhere in sight. From behind her she heard Draco start down the stairs. Giving her cloak up as lost she held up the gold coin and clearly pictured her bedroom. The feeling of a sharp yank formed behind her navel and the world blurred.

When it settled Alex found herself in her own bedroom. She tossed the now useless galleon onto her desk, it only had magic enough to last for two trips, and she'd used up both getting to and from the Malfoys. Striding over to her door she shut, locked and activated its silence spells. That done Alex threw herself onto her bed and dug her fingers into her hair.

* * *

A/N: I originally thought it worked better if I split the reactions into a new chapter. Since I'm not doing _that_ much editing it is still in that format. 


	8. Reactions

A/N: Reposted 10/21/07. As with all my reposts, all the important content has remained the same. Just some details, typos and grammar was changed.

NEW SCENE. I just couldn't leave Draco acting like an idiot without explaining his motivations.

* * *

Draco leaned against the wall, shaking his head slowly, trying to wrap his head around, well, _everything_. It had all been too easy. Find Alex, draw her away and then play some cat and mouse while on his home ground. It was a perfect opportunity to throw her off balance and mess with her head. And he didn't even have to wait until school started.

But then he'd kissed her, which had _not_ been a part of the original plan. Draco still wasn't completely sure why he'd even done it. He was sure that he'd enjoyed it.

Well...

The blonde grimaced. He'd enjoyed it until Alex had hit him. He'd been rejected before, but no one had ever _fought back_. Like he was attacking them! A push or a laughing "No". Merlin she'd looked so _small_! And angry. _Damn_ angry. A small of part of Draco was surprised that he wasn't a streak of blood on the wall at this point. A much larger part of him was wallowing in a guilt he wasn't sure he could define.

What he _was _sure of was that he'd been very, very stupid. Something bad was going to come out of this. But with luck the only fall out would be a premature tipping of his hand to Alex. With a whole _castle full_ of luck.

A swell of noise from below reminded him of his other guests and Draco pushed himself to his feet. He fingers the light welts on his neck and headed even further upstairs first. He needed a new shirt.

* * *

"What is _wrong_ with him?!" Alex wailed, casting herself onto her bed. Tears of anger rolled down her face. "I didn't not want to be kissed in an upper hallway by_Draco frickin Malfoy_ my first time! Merlin!" Less anger and more pain filled her crying. "It's not fair! Why do I have to be strong, powerful, perfect _all the time_?!"

Curling up on her side Alex cried until her eyes were burningly dried out and her throat ached. Crawling off her bed she slipped slowly out of her gown and into a night robe. Wallowing in her misery Alex bypassed the sleep potions and grabbed her diary instead. Adding a Never-ending-ink Quill to her grasp she walked back to her bed and slid under the thick covers.

Propped up on her pillows with her knees drawn up, Alex pressed her finger to the diary's lock. It sprang open at her touch. She flipped to a clean page.

Personal. 

_**It's all too personal.**_

_**It's all means too much to me.**_

_**Whom nothing means anything too.**_

_**Private.**_

_**Beyond private.**_

_**Betrayed.**_

_**It's mine!**_

_**It belongs to me!**_

_**By what right do you claim it?**_

_**By what right do you dare to enter a territory forbidden?**_

_**By what right do you know…**_

_**Me?**_

_**I'm not yours!**_

_**Don't own me!**_

_**Please don't**_

_**I belong to myself so little anyway.**_

_**Can't I escape from them all just once?**_

_**For one night can't I be mine?**_

_**You don't know me.**_

_**YOU DON'T OWN ME!**_

_**Please don't hurt me.**_

_**I do that enough on my own.**_

Tears began to blotch the page. Alex rubbed her forehead, battling a coming headache. The loneliness opened inside her like a gaping void.

"Damn him." She muttered.

_**DAMN YOU DRACO MALFOY!**_

_**LEAVE ME ALONE!**_

Shutting the book Alex shivered and burrowed deeper into her comforters. "I hate him." She whispered to her pillow. "I'll never forgive him for this."

* * *

"Draco. A word if you please."

Draco froze on his way upstairs to his room. When his father began to ask it was always bad. "Yes, Father?" he said casually, stepping into Lucius's office. The elder Malfoy sat behind his desk, fingers lightly steepled in front of his face.

"Did you have a pleasant evening?"

"Yes, sir." It didn't come out differently than anything else Draco had said this evening thanks to his control...but he was wary of the unreadable man before him.

"I saw you speaking with Miss Bellmonte. Have the two of you become friends?"

"Merely acquaintances at the moment. I plan to change that this year." Draco regained a little of his usual, uncaring tone. If all his father wanted to know about was him and Alex…

"So, you wouldn't know the reason that she left early?"

Draco mentally froze. "Did she?" he asked with, he thought, believable surprise. "Why?"

Lucius leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. "Why don't you tell me." The temperature of his tone dropped several degrees with each word.

"I don't have any idea why she left," Draco scoffed, shrugging. "How would I know something like that? We're only passing acquaintances, Father. The girl doesn't _confide_ in me."

"Perhaps _you_ should confide in _me_," Lucius commanded arcticly.

"About what?"

"You changed your shirt. Why?"

"I…" Startled by the sudden change of subject Draco glanced down at his black turtle neck. "spilled something on the other one."

"Oh really?" Lucius stood and paced out from behind his desk. "You didn't change it to hide _that_!" He yanked the collar of Draco's shirt away from his neck, revealing three long scratches.

"I…"

"_Silence_!" Lucius slowly advanced on Draco, pulling his wand free of his cane. "If you need to satisfy your lusts because you are too weak to control them then I will _buy_ you a girl! Alexandria Bellmonte is _not_ yours to toy with. No matter _what_ she looks like! She is a _Bellmonte_! She is_not to be touched_! Do I make myself understood?"

"Yes, sir." Draco felt his eyes widen and shut down his fear with an angry thought. He was Draco Malfoy! He didn't _fear_ anyone! Tripping over a chair leg Draco slammed onto his back. As the stars cleared from his vision he saw his father standing over him. A black and silver wand was leveled at his heart.

"Good." Lucius said quietly. "_Crucio_."


	9. Thicker Than Water

Because I keep forgetting...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter. More the pity.

* * *

Alex crawled wearily out of bed. Sleep had not come swiftly to the Bellmonte house last night. Her tears had kept her awake. Her tears and a pesky thought that refused to be banished.

_Even if you didn't want him to, you liked it anyway. You wouldn't mind if he tried it again. Right?_

And there it was again. Rattling around inside her head the moment her eyes opened. "Stupid brain!" she muttered angrily. "It never obeys me! I need to do something about…"

A knock sounded, interrupting her grumbling. Stalking over to the door Alex glared down at the house elf. It was her father's personal one, Linge. "What!" she demanded.

He looked up at her, unruffled. "My Master and The Mistress await you in the Library. They are prepared to do the book spelling and you are required."

"Tell them I'm on my way. Dismissed!" Alex turned back into her room and leaned against the inner wall. She'd forgotten that her parents had said they'd be putting the spells on her books as soon as the Malfoy party was done with. It seemed she was forgetting a lot lately. "Merlin's Shit!"

Moving as fast as she dared, she'd get in just as much trouble for being one hair out of place as for being late, Alex dressed, plaiting her hair into a thick braid. Sighing at her reflection one last time she quit the room, heading for the stairs.

"You needed to see me?" Alex announced calmly, entering the library with her wand in one hand.

Neither of her parents commented, just looked at her. Suppressing a wince Alex stepped into the very center of the circle and sat down. Around her lay her dark texts, the most important in the innermost circle and ranging outward from there. Next lay a glittering brown circle. Outside of that paced her parents.

Still without a word, her father tossed a razor sharp dagger aloft. Alex caught it deftly in her empty hand as it fell. Steeling herself she slit a long gash down first one wrist then the other. Her mother spoke a word. The crimson liquid flowed through the air, raining gently down on the books.

In deeper tones Fredrick Bellmonte began to speak rhythmically. Deana's higher tones occasionally joined in. Alex didn't notice too much. Her mind was focused on the seemingly endless amount of blood that poured from her. For a second time her mother spoke a single powerful word and Alex felt as though her blood were being _pulled_ from her. Her cuts began to throb.

Alex couldn't keep track of time but she did watch the sunlight ride higher and higher up the floor to ceiling windows on one wall. The pouring streams of light seemed rude to her. Inappropriate.

_:: Well, now I guess you'll never know if you'd enjoy Draco kissing you again. ::_

_"Hmm? What? We already decided that one."_

_:: No we didn't. You would've liked it, you know. ::_

_"Would not have. And you just said it's never going happen anyway so I don't want to hear about it again. Not until the day I die."_

_:: Well, at least I won't have to keep my mouth shut long. ::_

_"What the hell are you talking about?!" _Alex demanded of the annoying voice inside her.

_:: Look down you fool! ::_

Unnerved at the abrupt change in the voice's tone Alex did as she was told. Shadows obscured her arms but even so Alex could see that they were nearly transparent. The blood from her wounds had slowed to a sluggish spurt every few seconds. An agonizing throb accompanied each spurt.

Lifting her suddenly heavy head Alex saw her parents, still pacing. Her father's voice sounded hoarse to her ears, but then she wasn't trusting her senses at all right now.

"_FINITE_!" Alex's parents finished in a loud ringing voice. Deana turned and strode out without a backwards glance. Her father stepped into the spotless circle and waved his wand over Alex. "_Integument Repairo_." The gashes on her arms disappeared but huge purple and black bruises ran from wrist to elbow.

"Father…"

"It's finished. You're stronger than I thought. You're still conscious." He shrugged and turned away. "Go to bed, Alex."

Placing her hands on the floor Alex tried to lever herself onto her knees. She shifted a few inches before her arms began to shake. With a whimper she collapsed onto the floor. Resting her head on the text ironically titled "Blood Magic" Alex wrapped her arms around herself and fell into darkness.

* * *

Draco growled low in his throat, jamming the galleon savagely into his pocket. It was time, according to his father, to 'make the appropriate apologies' to Alex. Stifling the urge to stalk up the sweeping drive the fronted the Bellmonte's estate Draco began his climb. It was easy going but for some residual stiffness. The Crucio curse doesn't harm a person physically but the thrashing and screaming that accompany it tend to do that for it. Even a full day later Draco was still feeling his bruises. He growled again. Alex had much to answer for.

A servant answered the door instantly when he rang the bell. The man bowed low. "Greetings, M'Lord. How may I assist you this morning?"

"I've come to call on Alex, if she's in. It's rather important." Draco said smoothly, never once looking at the man before him. It never occurred to him to do so.

The doorman bowed again. "Of course. The Little Mistress is in the library. This way."

Absently casting a critical eye over the flawless state of the Bellmonte's entry way, Draco followed the servant down a short hall. The man opened one side of a set of double doors and bowed Draco through. Inside, Draco saw Alex leaning heavily against the window she was looking out. A large smudged circle darkened the middle of the marble floor.

"Master Draco Malfoy." The doorman announced before departing. Alex whirled, alarm clear on her face. She quickly regained her composure.

"Draco. What a surprise." Her tone was flat and hostile.

Draco stopped. This wasn't what he'd expected. He'd known she'd be angry for being kissed without giving her permission but this…continual anger, it didn't fit with his facts. She'd been raised the same as him. What did it matter that they were only thirteen. When one's bloodline was this important one learned the art of procreation early. Why should one little kiss, that barely did anything, have her so up in arms? Like he'd actually _done_ something to her. In his surprise he blurted out the first thing in his mind.

"You're angry with me."

Alex let out a laugh of disbelief. "Wow! How clever of you Draco Malfoy! Why with that brain I'm surprised you aren't beating out that Granger chick!"

Draco's jaw clenched, echoes of his father's "lectures" on the subject of Hermione Granger flooding his mind. He opened his mouth but Alex wasn't finished. She began to pace slowly towards him.

"What did you think you were doing, leading me away from everyone? Are you so brave, Draco, that you only assault girls where no one could possibly hear them scream?"

Beginning to get angry himself Draco took a few steps forward. He inhaled, preparing to launch an attack of his own and smelled…blood? And fresh blood too. The dark smudge began to make some sense.

"Do you really think you could use my body to gain control over me? You forget, Draco, I'm a Bellmonte. Everything in my world is under _my_ direct control. That includes my physical being!"

As she got closer to him Draco realized that Alex was pale, almost bloodless looking. She raked a hand through her loose, mussed, hair and he caught sight of bandages covering her arms from wrist to elbow. Significant shadows underscored haunted eyes. Her words were even more haunting. When Draco used his family name or claimed control it was because he was desperate to convince himself that he had some.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I over-stepped myself." They were the words his father had drilled into him at wand point night before last but somehow they seemed appropriate.

She froze, and stared at him. "W-What?"

"You're entirely correct. I over-stepped myself. It won't happen again."

Alex put a hand to her forehead and sank onto a nearby couch with a sigh. Confused exhaustion ran across her features. Draco stayed where he was, waiting. "But _why_?" her words came out as a plea and she seemed to realize it. "I mean," she tried to compose herself. "what was the point?"

Draco frowned and tried to figure out an answer. Truth be told he wasn't all that sure himself. He'd told himself it was to get revenge on her but by his own logic that was ridiculous. Why would she even care if he kissed her, if she had the experience he'd been sure, until just now, that she'd had? "I…" he slowly shook his head. "I don't know."

Alex shifted and bit her lip briefly. "Fair enough. But then why are you here? Now?"

"My father found out. I've been 'required to apologize'."

Alex winced at the bitter underpinning of his words. His father? If he was anything like hers…_This is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about. He's no doubt much worse._ She felt a wave of sympathy for Draco and then wondered why she wasn't resenting it. "Well, you've apologized. You're free to go if you like."

"And am I free to stay if I like?" From the look that crossed his face when he'd finished speaking Draco was as shocked by his request as she was.

"I'm not very good company on the best of days and today doesn't even count as a neutral day."

"Spell-casting makes our kind unpleasant afterwards."

"Can you name an activity that _doesn't_ make our kind unpleasant afterwards?" Alex smiled wryly.

"Well…" Draco sent her a meaningful look.

"Ha! Then your parents must sleep at different ends of the house from each other or you wouldn't still harbor that myth."

Draco frowned, lost in thought. After a very short length of time he shuddered. "Eh! I'd forgotten about that."

"You're welcome."

He sent her a glare. "That wasn't something I'd thank you for bringing up."

"I didn't bring up _anything_, Draco. _You_ did."

"So," Draco wisely changed the subject. "what were you casting?"

"Oh," Alex tossed a hand and tried to look casual about it. "there are a few books my parents are loaning me that they'd rather didn't get things spilled on or stolen or anything so we put a few protections on them."

"And since they're your books the blood had to be yours." Alex's head jerked up and she stared at Draco, but it wasn't phrased as a question so she wasn't required to answer. He shrugged. "How nearly did you come?"

Alex stood to her feet, chin in the air. "I have no idea what you're talking about Draco Malfoy."

"I'll bet."

"Was there anything else?" she words were coldly precise.

"No. If you have no objection, I'll take my leave." Draco glared at her before turning on his heel and stalking away. The servant had to scramble to open the front door before Draco reached it. Before his foot even touched the first step Draco had gripped his Galleon. With a sharp _snap_ he was gone.

Alex stared out the window after him, hand pressed to the glass.

* * *

A/N: No Alex isn't crazy. Oh come on! Like none of you have ever had conversations with yourself! I hope you enjoyed this. It's a little longer than before. Review and tell me if it was long enough for you. 


	10. Interlude 01

Bellmonte

The name of my blessing

Bellmonte

The name of my curse

Whatever you want just take it

Or order it brought on a platter

The world to you must conform

Your desires are all that matter

So my mother told me

So too did my father

Arrogance the key

Let nothing bother

Or if it does show fury, cold

In the end it will do as told

But this is not the world that I found

When I stepped out

beyond my home ground

The world does not bow to me

Offer obedience freely

And arrogance and fury make an ice cold soul

Maintaining my status must take it's toll

For what I must surrender for my gain

Is terrible agony, emotional pain

My heart is dead inside me

My soul a frozen waste

And in the end just one thing's clear

I must hate this world I hold so dear.

* * *

A/N: I'm putting up two chapters in apology cause I keep forgetting to update. I also keep forgetting to thank those wonderful people who review my story so below is a list of the reviewer for every review I've gotten for this fic in the order that I got them first to last. 

fire-sprite-14

Fireblade K'Chona

Fireblade K'Chona

jamesismysweetheart

Severiona Black

Wanamaker

sheepdawg

Fireblade K'Chona

Wanamaker

Wanamaker

jamesismysweetheart

Fireblade K'Chona

Jamesismysweetheart

Severiona Black

Fireblade K'Chona

Jamesismysweetheart

LaLa-the-Panda

Fireblade K'Chona

THANK YOU! :repeats a couple dozen times:

I'll try to get Chapter 11 up over the weekend.


	11. On the Train

A/N: Alrighty then. Tania is in this chapter so once again I must give a huge thanks to Jaylyn Gilfer Bustinex, my favorite sister ever, for letting me steal her characters. The Detharts do not belong to me at all. I highly suggest that you people go read her stuff. She will in fact be putting up a Tania fic shortly, and some scenes you'll recognize and some you won't.

Also my new favorite character Blaise shows up. Woot! He's hysterical. Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm averaging one per chapter. Read on m'dears.

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The chatter of children of all ages and the general noise of trains combined with a couple hundred people running everywhere and extensive amounts of baggage to create the purest form of chaos known to man. Her levitated luggage following her like a lost puppy, Alex moved carefully through the insanity that was Platform 9 and 3/4.

It was the work of moments to secure her trunk and find an empty compartment. Few people got on the train until just before it left so there were no lack of seating areas totally devoid of people. Firmly settling herself into her chosen area, Alex sat at the window seat to the right of the door and placed her owl, Striker's cage on the seat next to her. The noise from the platform was muffled and Alex opened her Transfigurations textbook, determined to have the first three chapters memorized by the time she had her first class. A quiet knock sounded against the glass. She looked up into the lowered gaze of Tania Dethart.

"Hello, Tania."

"Are these seats taken?" Tania asked tentatively.

"No. Go ahead and sit. Do you need help stowing your things?"

"No. Thank you. I'm fine." Tania quickly swung her luggage into the rack above their heads before Alex could do more than offer. That finished, she took the other window seat, directly across from Alex. Taking out a textbook similar to Alex's, Tania hesitated.

"Oh, good. You're going to read too. I wanted to finish this before class started." Suiting actions to words, Alex disappeared behind her book. Within seconds she heard the rustle of pages as Tania did the same.

A silence fell, punctuated only by the occasional noise of students passing by in the hall. A scathing glare over the top of her textbook was all that was required to keep anyone else from trying to sit in their compartment. Not that anyone else was too inclined to sit with two Slytherin girls, but it didn't hurt to be extra forbidding. The sound of students had faded and the platform had nearly cleared when…

"Alex!"

Closing her book and setting it aside with slow precision, Alex looked over into the face of her Slytherin year-mates.

"Milli. Blaise. Looking for a seat?"

"Alex." Milli ignored the Tania with the ease of long practice as she slid into the seat next to her. "How was your summer?"

"Same old stuff," Alex responded with just a hint of yawn in her voice. She smiled suddenly. "I know your grandmother is old fashion like that, Blaise, but all the girls are seated. You don't have to keep standing."

He grinned and dropped down beside her as the train started moving. "I've been hearing weird stuff about you lately, Lex."

"Rumors? About me?" Alex flipped her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Why, that's never happened to me before!"

"I'm not talking about rumors, Alexandria."

"Oh! Use of full name. Are you worried about me, Blaise?" She dropped a hand delicately onto his shoulder. "I'm touched."

"Lex! What happened between you and Darius at that stupid Flint party?!"

Milli leaned forward, concern warring with glee in her eyes. Tania's eyes never left the page before her, the same one she'd been reading since Blaise and Milli had entered.

"What makes you think that's any of your business, Zabini?" Alex's eyes and voice battled for the title of Most Vicious.

"Goyle said you did his brother. Marcus says Darius did you. Darius himself has either no comment or mutters something about you screwing Draco Malfoy. Who won't comment one way of the other as far as I've heard…"

"_What_?!" Milli exclaimed in delighted shock.

"_What_?!" Alex growled in an unknowing echo, gripping Blaise's arm.

"What?" Pansy stood just outside their compartment, a surprised smile on her face. "Our very own Alex is a sl-"

With a sharp wave of her wand, which had appeared instantly in her hand, Alex sent the door slamming shut barely missing the end of Pansy's nose. Laughter turned to rage when Pansy failed in her attempts to yank the door back open. "I'd cast a silencing spell but I think there's no point. This seems to be wide spread amongst the men and now that Pansy knows...will there be anyone who won't find out? Somehow, I doubt it."

"You're entirely too correct," Milli said, sighing lightly.

Alex sent her a look, which stated in no uncertain terms that she knew that Milli would've spread the word even without the cover of Pansy knowing the 'secret'. Milli's smile was all mercenary. She shrugged.

"What's your plan, Lex?"

"Simple, do nothing." Alex thought she caught the subtle nodding of a certain dark haired head hiding behind a book. "I am a Bellmonte. I am above such obvious stupidity. I do not acknowledge it and it cannot touch me. I don't care."

After a second Blaise nodded slowly. "If there's no reaction then what's the point. Elegant and practical as ever, Alex."

Alex filed away the realization that Tania Dethart had figured out the 'elegant practicality' of her plan before Blaise, one of the smartest Slytherins in her own year. Interesting. "As for the rumors themselves, your sources are _Goyle_ and _Marcus Flint_. Who believes Marcus and Goyle about anything? Draco…" She shrugged. "He's Draco Malfoy. It's _all_ complicated."

"Ain't that the truth." Milli muttered. Alex and Blaise jerked up and stared at her. Alex started to grin.

"Milli…that was hilarious."

Milli laughed. "Ain't it just?" this time her voice held disgusted mockery.

"Oh gosh." Alex started to laugh as well. "I never thought I'd hear Millicent Bulstrode using low-born _common_ language."

Countryside passed rapidly outside the window as the group laughed together. They gathered themselves when a knock came from outside the compartment door. Seeing only the nice old woman who sold candy and treats off her cart Alex spelled the door back open.

"One of everything and two of anything new." Alex ordered with the air of one who didn't care about prices or depriving someone else of a supply.

"The same." Blaise said in a scornful monotone, his 'public' voice.

"One of everything and two of anything chocolate." Milli put in creatively.

"And for you my dear?" The old lady leaned in and looked at Tania.

"I-I…Nothing for me thanks. I'm fine."

Milli let out an airily cruel laugh. "Oh just order something even if you don't want it now. Alex pays for everything and her purse has no known bottom."

Tania looked positively bloodless. Alex took pity on her. No pure blood liked someone else paying for something they couldn't. "Oh please do buy one of everything at least. My parents get suspicious if they don't think I'm spending my money on 'normal' things." Alex didn't look at Tania as she said it.

"One of everything then." Tania's voice was almost unhearable but she didn't falter over the words at all. As soon as she'd spoken the appropriate treats flew to the laps of those who'd ordered them and Alex pulled out her belt purse. When a handful of galleons had found their way into the pocket of the woman's robe she left and Alex shut the door again but refrained from locking it.

"So. Who are you exactly?" Milli said, ignoring the bounty of junk food covering her lap. Her words prevented Tania from retreating behind her book again, not that she'd moved beyond the one page as far as Alex could tell.

"Must be somebody interesting to earn a spot in Alex's compartment." Blaise commented as he opened a chocolate frog.

"Millicent Bulstrode. Blaise Zabini. This Tania Dethart. I'm sure you've met her older brothers, Hunter and Falon."

"Falon?" Milli jumped right in, smirking. "Not the Hated-Imbecile Falon?"

"What she means to say," Blaise interjected smoothly, "is that you are far too beautiful to be related to a _specimen_ such as _Falon _Dethart."

Tania paled brilliantly but couldn't stop a blush at Blaise's comment. Red stained her cheekbones. Alex chuckled and tapped Blaise's nose with her wand.

"She is quite lovely but she's too young for you Blaise. Don't you prefer them tall, blonde and at least seventh year if you can't get a Professor?"

Blaise leaned back in his seat and grinned smugly. "Not that _that_ happens often."

"The only time you ever did without was when your grandfather put that age limit spell on you. Limited you to girls within six months of your age if I remember rightly." Alex smirked at his horrified expression.

"Hit on everything vaguely feminine in our year you did…including me and Alex." Milli was laughing again.

"It was not exactly my fault! Abstinence has never been my thing!"

"And it was second year too! I'm not sure who was more relieved when your grandfather took it off, you or the girls your age."

As the landscape continued to rush past and the conversation dissolved into debating Blaise's conquests and preferences Tania slipped back into hiding behind her textbook.

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A/N: Yup. That's it. So, how did you like my friendly gallant lech Blaise? More to come, soon of course. Review!


	12. Hogwarts

A/N: Okay you'll probably recognize some bits in this chapter. Those would be Dumbledor's speech etc which I copied straight from GoF...I own NOTHING! Don't hurt me! I'm just striving for accuracy.

* * *

By the time Alex had finished gathering her stuff and appropriating a carriage Tania had vanished into the rain. Alex shrugged, using the motion to free herself from her book bag, which Blaise was attempting to carry for her. 

When the three Slytherins stepped into the great hall, they found that they were much dryer than most of the students.

"You'd think they'd be intelligent enough to remember a simple water shedding spell." Milli scoffed as they passed the Gryffindor table, its occupants looking distinctly damp.

Either the Gryffindors didn't hear her or they were trying to practice the fine art of ignoring. Either way, Milli swept onward to the Slytherin table without so much as slowing her stride.

"Juvenile," Blaise muttered, causing Alex to chuckle.

An ominous roll of thunder casually announced the trio as they sank into their accustom seats at their table. The same heavy sound punctuated the entrance of Hagrid and the to-be-

Sorted first years. One miniscule boy was a walking rainstorm himself within the gamekeeper's huge coat.

Blaise raised one cultured eyebrow. "Me thinks I spy a future Gryffindor."

Milli sent her gaze heavenward and Alex smirked.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and began the Sorting. "Aaranthis, Leanna"

There was a short tense silence and then, "SLYTHERIN!"

Alex clapped politely as the girl swept down off the stool and sat at the end of the Slytherin table without hesitation.

"So, Alex, I've been hearing some interesting things about you." Jenna Montague leaned across her twin, Jonathan, and smiled evilly.

The Quidditch chaser pushed his sister off him and swept his gaze over all the parts of Alex that were visible. "So have I."

"Baddock, Malcolm......SLYTHERIN!"

"Really? I haven't."

Milli smirked as the twins exchanged a confused look. Alex sighed inwardly.

"But Pansy..." Jenna feigned a confused pause, shifting the blame form herself to Pansy. "Aren't you engaged to Draco?"

Alex stiffened and tried not to stare at Jenna. Engaged? To Draco? That was... She mentally flinched at the picture of herself under his control.

Blaise started to laugh, covering her silence. "Alex...en-engaged..."

Alex got her footing back. "Really? I'm engaged? That's news to me. Draco! Where's my ring?!"

Draco paused in his conversation with Goyle and looked over at her in query.

"It would seem Pansy is telling people that we're engaged. Yet my hand is bare and I think I blame you." Alex lifted her left hand to underscore her words.

Draco smirked. "I'll buy you jewelry if you want it, Alex, but I fear your hand will have to stay lonely."

"Pritchard, Graham."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"We're only acquaintances." Alex explained, amused.

"Perhaps even friends," Draco put in dryly.

"Perhaps." she shrugged. "But then, Pansy is always the most knowledgeable and truthful source of information about Draco Malfoy…" Her irony was forming puddles on the table. The twins smirked, remembering Pansy's downfall last year when she'd tried something like this after Draco had broken up with her.

There was a sudden silence at the front of the room announcing the beginning of Dumbledore's start of term speech.

"I have only two words to say to you," the elderly Headmaster said energetically. "Tuck in."

There was a collective scoff and rolling of the eyes from most of the Slytherin table, but none of them were any less eager than their fellow schoolmates as the food appeared before them.

As Blaise had said once in their first year, you could always tell the true pure-bloods from the lesser and buy-ins by the manners displayed as this table.

Alex carefully piled her plate with properly small sized portions of the least "common" foods until she had a balanced meal. Milli followed suit, emphasizing fruits and vegetables with the smallest amount of meat she could get away with.

"How lady-like of you both," Draco commented, his own plate piled high with food. Despite that slight regression Alex couldn't help but noticing that he was still using the same exact manners that she and Milli were. As Blaise had said....

From far down the table Pansy sent Alex a venomous glare. "Well, if I didn't just...." Alex whispered.

"What?" Blaise asked after he finished swallowing his bite of chicken and laid his fork back on his plate.

Alex glanced at him and smiled. "Oh nothing. I just realized something but it's not important." Inwardly thought patterns were doing some rapid shifting. Pansy...Merlin was it possible? Pansy was..._jealous_! Over Draco! It was all too ludicrous to comprehend. Why did he suddenly seem to be the root of all her problems? Well, if Pansy couldn't keep Draco then that was her problem. Alex didn't even want him.

"So then, if you aren't Draco's who are you with?" Jon asked, gesturing with a fork.

"Oh please!" Jenna exclaimed following the eternal rule that one twin had to answer the other twin no matter what. She tapped Jon on the nose with her spoon. "Don't you know anything brother dear? Bellmontes are never _with_ anyone. The occasional one night stand is accepted but they remain nearly celibate until marriage."

"Then how do they end up married?" Jon shot back logically.

"I think I can answer that one. "Alex put in before yet another of the Twin Wars, so famous in Slytherin House, broke out. They might seem like they should be in Hufflepuff in general but one did not anger a Montague. "We, Bellmontes that is, choose mates of acceptable social and political standing with the help of our parents, siblings and the members of any allied families. Once we choose, a contract is offered to said person's family. Negotiations take place and lastly marriage. Really, I find it amazing that you have to ask. Surely your parents have dis..." Alex clapped her hand over her mouth in mocking dismay. "Oh! Perhaps you don't get married that way. I'm so sorry. I only assumed because _all_ of the truly powerful pure-blooded families follow that time honored tradition. You really must forgive me."

Beside her Blaise snickered. There was no way the twins could take offense at that, not with the way she'd phrased it and so Alex got away with her insult clean.

"So!" The sound of Dumbledore's voice cut throw the chatter that filled the huge room. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle, has this year been extended to include, Screaming Yo-Yo's, Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some 437 items, I believe and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anyone would like to check it."

A snicker came from nearby but Alex couldn't tell who it had come from.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy. But I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts..."

A huge crash of thunder punctuated by the main doors of the hall slamming open interrupted the Headmaster. Every eye in the room turned to face the newcomer. A tall man wrapped in a dripping black traveling cloak limped his ways towards the head table leaning heavily on a wooden staff. The rain in his long mane of grizzled hair caught firelight as he moved.

When he reached the head table he spoke quietly to Dumbledore. The utter silence that had followed his entrance was so profound that even the students at the far ends of the hall could faintly hear the sounds of the two men's voices. Shaking the Headmaster's hand the man sat.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody." Dumbledore spoke into the silence. Together he and Hagrid began to clap.

"Who the bloody hell-" Alex silenced Blaise with a wave of her hand. The Headmaster was speaking again and with the silence there was far too great a chance of being overheard.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not be held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the TriWizard will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

From across the room one of the innumerable Weasleys yelled, "YOU'RE JOKING!!!"

Somehow that was what finally broke the deep silence. Most of the occupants of the Hall laughed. Even Alex had to crack a smile as she exchanged looks with Blaise.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Er.. but maybe this is not the time...no... where was I? Ah, yes, the TriWizard Tournament, Well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wander freely."

"Doesn't need to tell me twice." Blaise muttered. "Who _doesn't_ know what the TriWizard is?"

"Uh...the Mudbloods and Gryffindors." Alex said dryly. "This will be interesting to be sure. Oh and Blaise..."

"Yes Alex, Light of my Life, Tormentor of my Dreams, My Endless Money Pouch?"

Alex grabbed Blaise's goblet and sniffed its contents suspiciously. "Alright who slipped what to Lord Lech?"

No one met her glare. Blaise snorted. "I'm not drugged Alex, _darling_. I'm much more fun than this when I'm drugged. What was it you needed of me?"

"I need you to remind me to send my parents an owl before bed." She rolled her eyes at her friend. "I don't know if we have any feuds or alliances with outlying purebloods, it's not like I keep track, and I'd hate to misrepresent our family name to the newcomers."

"What? Forget to ask before you left home?" Blaise asked.

"Why would I remember? It's not like I knew I'd be running into people from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang."

"Do I hear correctly?" Draco sneered. "the high Lady Bellmonte didn't know about this event beforehand?"

"The Malfoys _buy_ knowledge. We Bellmontes create our own." Alex responded icily.

"Touchy." Blaise muttered turning away from her. "So, planning on entering, Draco? Uphold the Malfoy name and all that."

"Wow, Zabini." Draco said, laughter underscoring his tone. "When you let your brain take a break you really go all out."

"Excuse me?" Blaise bit out imperiously.

"The Headmaster _just said_ that they changed the rules this year. Apparently you have to be of age. Legally."

"Pity the Ministry changed the old laws." Alex put in. "Otherwise you'd both be considered of age, being fourteen and Heirs and then I'd get to watch you both battle nearly impossible foes and probably get yourselves killed."

"Why Alex." Draco drawled innocently. "what has you so riled up?"

Alex snorted in a rather unladylike way. "Draco Malfoy you have seen me _almost_ riled up once. This is not riled up. The room and its occupants would not still be in one piece if I were."

Blaise stared at Draco his eyes wide in admiration that the other boy was still alive. "You saw Alex nearly lose her temper?! What happened?"

"I drew blood." Alex said quickly, before Draco could answer. He seemed to make the connection with which event she was talking about because his silver eyes darkened to stormy grey.

"Alex you draw blood when you're happy. What happened to actually make you angry? I have to know...mainly so I can avoid doing it."

Draco stepped in, his eyes never leaving Alex's. "Never stop treating her like the ice queen. She doesn't like it when people treat her like a woman."

Alex half rose from her seat, murder in her eyes. "Draco Lucius Malfoy-"

"Alex!" Blaise hissed, pulling her back into her seat. "Dumbledore!"

The Headmaster's words found her ears and Alex regained some control over her temper.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us and will give your whole hearted support to the Hogwarts Champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bed Time! Chop Chop!"

Blaise half lifted Alex to her feet along with the rest of the students. "I don't know what is going on between you and Malfoy, and I frankly don't want to know. I'm a mere Zabini and your feuds are to dangerous for the likes of me..._however_ you shouldn't act the fool for his sake. I don't care what he did." He hissed the words in her ear as the two swept their way towards the Slytherin common room.

"You're right about one thing Blaise. You don't want to get caught in the middle of this. _Opprimo_." Alex added the password onto the end of her comment. The portrait swung open and she turned to face her friend. "I'm going to bed."

"Hey Alex." Blaise called from behind her. She paused halfway up the stairs to the girls' dorm.

"Yes Blaise?"

"Don't forget to write your parents."

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A/N: The password is Latin. Literally translated by my helpful online Latin/English dictionary it means "to overpower". Fitting isn't it? 

Once again I need to get out of my Alex mode and do something she would never dream of. Beg. Pleeeeeeease review. ::sniffle/sob:: Please?


	13. The Next Day

A/N: Okay okay I know the title of the chapter is oh so creative. Leave me alone. I still own nothing HP related...except for everything I do own. Anyway, I reuse some bits (Hargid's words some of Draco's comments etc) straight from the books. It's all JK Rowling's and I give all credit to her. I'm striving for accuracy is all. Read on everyone.

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Draco yawned around a piece of toast. A loud flutter of wings filled the Great Hall. 

"Draco." Crabbe interrupted his conversation to say in a low voice, causing Draco to glance up. An eagle owl circled above his head. He nodded sharply and it landed next to his plate.

A letter and a package were quickly detached from his talons. Draco pushed the rest of his bacon at his mother's owl while opening the letter. It was, as he'd expected, in his mother's handwriting.

_ My Dearest Son,_

_ I trust that you find the class list we assigned to you to your liking._

Draco could almost hear his mother's cold sarcasm. His parents didn't care if he enjoyed his classes as long as he excelled in them.

_ The package contains the usual goodies from home. Make sure to share them with your friends and as always write me if you require more._

_ Lovingly Yours,_

_Narcissa Black Malfoy_

He refolded the letter and stuck it in his pocket. When Draco reached for the package he didn't have to fake a grin. He knew that inside, hidden beneath a layer of sweets, he would find a selection of illegal potions ingredients his parents considered too dangerous to send with him on the train. Pulling it open he tossed a small cake to each Crabbe and Goyle.

"The usual Goodies?" Goyle asked, unwrapping his.

Draco nodded. "Who's up for some Potions homework later?"

"We have Care of Magical Creatures first." Crabbe reminded him.

"Well _after that_ then." Draco snapped, not enjoying the reminder of a class with the Gryffindors.

His cronies exchanged a look and shrugged. "Whatever, Draco."

"Look lively gentlemen." Draco cautioned, pulling his wand. A wave of it sent his package up to his dorm. "The ladies approach."

And at that moment Milli and Pansy found seats near them at the table with Blaise and Alex just entering the Hall.

"Blaise is not a lady." Pansy said. "I can vouch."

"Pansy," Draco drawled, annoyed. "I think I'll take your word for it. After all no one knows the men of this castle as thoroughly as you."

Pansy's glare was murder.

* * *

Draco made his way towards "Professor" Hagrid's…hut. Despite the steepness of the slope, his stride hadn't changed since they'd left the castle. 'They', of course, being Crabbe, Goyle and himself. His worst set of robes flowed around him as he walked, though, he noticed smugly, they were still better quality than those on most of the Gryffindors' who gathered around a cluster of boxes. 

A set of robes the equal of his own caught his eye and he allowed himself a few seconds of purely male enjoyment while admiring Alex from the back. Oh yes, he wanted her, and Draco had never found anything he'd ever wanted that he couldn't own.

"On'y jus' hatch," the Gamekeeper's coarse words invaded Draco's thought, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

"And why would we want to raise them?" Draco demanded coldly.

There was a pause as Draco waited for a response. Hagrid just stared at him, stumped. From behind him he heard Crabbe and Goyle chuckle.

"I mean what do they _do_?" he sneered, trying again. "What is the _point_ of them?"

The silence only lasted a few seconds this time before Hagrid said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, Yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things…"

Draco tuned out the rest of the oaf's lecture as he moved over to where Alex and the rest of the Slytherins were standing. She sent him a withering glare.

"You _do_ realize this is why you keep getting in trouble in this class?" Alex said acidly, her voice low.

"What is?" he responded in feigned confusion.

"Not listening, cretin."

Draco decided to practice those very skills on her. He affected an inattentive attitude towards her.

"It's a bad habit and a deadly one." She continued forcefully. "You're very lucky that hippogriff let you off with just a slashed arm last year."

This time it was Draco who did the glaring while Alex affected unconcern.

"That beast was wild, out of control. I was attacked-"

"It was _your_ fault, Draco Malfoy and you know it."

"_Ouch_!" one of the Gryffindors Draco didn't particularly know yelled as Hagrid hurried over to him. "It got me! It's end exploded!"

"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," Hagrid explained casually.

"Eurgh!" a Gryffindor girl exclaimed. It seemed the Gryffindors were actually trying to feed the things.

"Which one is that?" Draco asked his cronies as the girl continued.

"Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Lavender Brown," Goyle supplied easily, "and the first boy was Dean Thomas."

Draco saw Alex shoot a confused look at his "body guard".

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," their teacher explained, sounding far too enthusiastic about it. "I reckon they're the males… The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies… I think they might be ter suck blood."

"Well," Draco put in sarcastically, "I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione Granger snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Draco caught the look Potter sent Hagrid and glared as he remembered the trouble he'd gotten in because of the two of them and a pet dragon.

"Now see, Draco," Alex commented smugly, "that's what happens when you pay attention. Your arrogant comments are _informed_ arrogant comments."

"Oh, stuff it, Bellmonte. You don't enjoy taking this class any more than I do," Draco snapped, fully fed up with female superiority at the moment.

"For your information, Draco, and note if you'd ever paid attention you'd already know this, but this class was very interesting until Hagrid took over, occasionally we still do cover something worth learning and the textbooks assigned are very informative even if we don't use them in class," she sniffed. "What exactly are _you_ doing here if you don't like the class? Those two I'm assuming are just here in case you get lonely."

"Actually," Draco whirled to stare at Crabbe, "we're here because it's an easy O. Draco's here because Pansy isn't."

Alex blinked at Crabbe for a second before she burst out laughing. Several of the Gryffindors sent them a glance declaring that they thought the Slytherins had lost it.

"Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle," Alex put a hand on each boys' shoulder. "I have sorely misjudged you both and you have my most profound apologies."

"Of course you did," Greg said, smirking. "That's what you were supposed to do."

* * *

A/N: Okay. okay. I know....no wait I don't. I liked that chapter. Maybe it was a little short. Leave me alone. Honestly though, am I the only one who's ever wondered why Vince and Greg(as I will be calling them now) were Sorted into Slytherin(the House of cunning and guile) if they were as dull and useless as they're made out to be? If people can make Neville a closet genius then I can make Draco's cronies into semi-intelligent beings. Deal with it. 

Oh and just in case anyone was wondering there is a Voldie including plotline in here. The big problem is that A) I needed to give everyone a good handle on how I'm playing all the characters and B) the timeline is against me. Lucius can't get involved with His-Evilness until year end and Bella doesn't get sprung from Azkaban until next summer...Okay I probably said waaaay too much right there. Oh well. At least I didn't tell you about the Bellmonte Family Secrets...::tries to look innocent:: Oh well. I'll probably put in a chapter that includes plot every 15 chapters or so. It all depends...mainly on reviews.

::waves cheerfully::

Bye all! TTFN!


	14. Moody Ferrets

A/N: Well, this is going be slightly long, cause I've got lots to say.

1) So sorry for the long wait on updates I didn't think anyone was still reading Veil. Which brings us to...

2) I really need you people to review. As much has I(and every other author I've read) joke about it, I CANNOT know if anyone is reading my stuff if I don't get reviews. And it doesn't have to be long or anything, just a quick "That was a great chapter. Update." To let me know you read the thing is fine. Otherwise, if no one reviews, I'll maybe keep writing for my own amusement but I won't go through the trouble of posting it up here.

3) The overall plot I know but if there's anything specific you want to see, from anyone, review or email me with it. I can always use help coming up with little, sub-ploty scenes to use to open big plot moments with.

Below is the funny and pointless A/N that I had already typed up with this document before I stopped posting(I've had this and several other chapters written, or mostly written for a long time). We should see a chapter a week or so for a little while IF I get reviews. I think that's all.

A/N: Hey look! Another scene from Draco's POV. What a pity. ::smiles gleefully:: You know there's a reason I always play Slytherin characters on my online RPGs. I enjoy this too much.

Disclaimer: Same as last time. A lot of actual dialog from this scene is straight from JK's beautiful book Goblet of Fire. I am merely reusing some bits but putting them from a different POV. Nobody freak. Most of this fic is 100 my writing. I'm just striving for complete accuracy.

* * *

Draco pulled open his mail packet as he walked towards the Great Hall. It had arrived in his dorm room thanks to his _personal_ owl at the same time that his mother's had arrived in the Great Hall that morning. 

"Letter from home...father's writing of course. Various invites. Social Gossip. Daily Prophet…oh! Poor Weasley." His voice went from bored to falsely sympathetic as he read the paper's headline.

And then, as if a gift from the gods, before him appeared the Golden Trio.

"Weasley! Hey Weasley!" he called.

What?" Ron snapped as they all turned around.

"Your dad's in the paper Weasley." Draco said, brandishing his Daily Prophet and making sure everyone in the packed Entrance Hall could hear him. "Listen."

Further Mistakes At The Ministry of Magic 

**It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, _writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent_. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.**

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley." He commented, pleased. Finally getting some of his own back against the loud-mouthed, whiney Muggle lover who was always pestering him.

Straightening the paper with a flourish he continued to read.

**Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer _Daily Prophet_ questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.**

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Draco added the next piece to his current petty revenge. Oh he knew it was petty. He also knew it was fun _and_ not something he could get in trouble for. He shoved the image at the Golden Trio. "A picture of your parents outside their house…if you can call it a house!" the insult didn't seem to be enough for the reaction he wanted so Draco thought quickly and added, "Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Ron paled brilliantly and then flushed a bright red. He was practically shaking with fury.

"Get stuffed Malfoy," Harry spat, grabbing Ron's arm. "Come on, Ron…"

"Oh, yeah, you were staying with him this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Draco sneered at his rival. Maybe he was sadistic…or a masochist...or whatever, but he always found these 'debates' exhilarating…fun even. "So, tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy?" Harry shot back, unaware of what he was doing. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that or was it just because you were with her?"

Draco felt his face go slightly pink. That disgusting little brat! "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter." He growled trying to control his fury.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then." Harry said with finality, beginning to turn away.

Draco slammed his hand into his robes, yanking his wand free. "_Reducto_!"(1) he yelled. The blast nearly covered his words with a loud BANG before shooting off towards Harry's head. It wouldn't do much damage, just shove him out of the way. Draco wasn't trying to hurt him, just warn him not to mess with Narcissa Malfoy. No one talked about his mother!

There was second loud BANG and suddenly Draco felt as though he was twisting…melting. Still clinging to the rules of being a Malfoy Draco only screamed in his mind as he fought the rolling pain.

* * *

Alex pushed through the crowd angrily. Draco was dueling someone. The moron. By the time she reached Crabbe and Goyle though he was nowhere to be seen. 

"Vince?" she put a hand on Crabbe's shoulder trying to get him to look at her. "Vince where the hell is Draco?!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!" An unfamiliar voice yelled. All three Slytherin's jumped and stared at Professor Moody as he made his way towards them. His wand was pointed at...Alex traced the line of sight and found a small white ferret on the stone floor. For a long moment her mind refused to believe what she was seeing.

"Did he get you?" the Professor asked Potter.

"No," the other boy said," missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody yelled, causing Vince to freeze as he tried to pick up what used to be Draco. The Professor took a few limping steps towards them. The ferret squeaked in fear and took off towards the dungeons.

"Draco! No, _wait_!" Alex yelled at the same moment Moody cried, "I don't think so!"

He pointed his wand at Draco again and the ferret flew straight up about ten feet before slamming back into the ground. Once there he proceeded to continue bouncing.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponents back's turned! Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…" he growled as the ferret bounced higher and higher, screaming in pain. "Never…do…that…again…"

Alex exchanged furious glances with Vince and Greg. All three grabbed for their wands at the same moment.

"Professor Moody!" a shocked voice exclaimed, stalling their action.

"Hello Professor McGonagall." Moody said calmly bouncing the ferret higher still.

"What…what are you doing?" she asked, her gaze following Draco's bounces.

"Teaching."

"Teach…Moody _is that a student_?!" Professor McGonagall shrieked her books falling to the floor.

"Yep."

"No!" she yelled racing down the stairs and pulling her wand. There was a loud snapping noise and Draco reappeared as himself. He got to his feet, covering his pain with only a minor wince.

"Moody we _never_ use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?" McGonagall said weakly.

Alex turned to her companions. "Vince…" he nodded, already moving he almost seemed to appear behind Draco and discretely supported some of his friend's weight.

"We give detentions Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that then." Moody said staring at Draco with intense dislike.

Draco glared back as well as he was able considering his eyes were watering with pain. "Gods my father can't find out about this,"(2) he muttered to Vince. Obviously Moody heard only part of the sentence.

"Oh yeah? Well I know your father of old, boy…you tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son…you tell him that from me…Now Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes." Draco ground out resentfully.

"Another old friend," Moody growled. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape…Come on you…" he grabbed Draco by the arm and marched him off to the dungeons.

Vince returned to Alex looking at a loss. Her grip on her wand was white knuckled. "That…That…I'll see him Demented!" she ground out striding in the direction Moody had disappeared with Draco. "How _dare_ that old, washed up, low-born, mudblood _Auror_ even think of doing more than kissing Draco's boots! He isn't intelligent enough to breathe if his body didn't do it automatically!"

By this time she realized that Vince and Greg had followed her, both with their wands still out. She stopped abruptly and turned to face them. "An insult like this is _not_ acceptable. Start thinking now of everything possible within you power to destroy the life of that creature. Write to your parents and while we wait for a reply try and think of 'accidents' he can have! Hopefully slow and painful ones!"

"Alex…" Greg trailed off and looked at Vince.

"What?!" she demanded.

"You don't even like Draco." Vince put in, almost as if he was afraid she'd turn her anger on him.

"_I_ am allowed to dislike, even hate, Draco Malfoy because _I_ am his equal. And even I would think twice about actually doing something _to_ Draco even if I had a good reason…which shooting a warning spell at _Potter_ most decidedly is _not_! Now come on!" Whirling she once more began to head deeper into the dungeons.

They got to the door of Professor Snape's office just in time to hear him say icily, "Thank you for the enlightening information about my student. I assure you he'll receive appropriate punishments." Even Alex could tell he was lying and not even trying to hide the scorn he felt for Moody _from_ Moody.

"Hmph." Moody snorted yanking the door opened. He seemed somewhat surprised to see three Slytherins waiting for him in the hall, each glaring at him more hatefully than the other two put together.

"I hear you're paranoid _Mr. _Moody." Alex said softly, purposefully dropping the respectful title of Professor. "That's a good trait for someone in your position to have." Turning sharply on her heel she strode into Snape's office.

* * *

(1) Now in the books it never says what spell he used so I'm doing what I always do and well.. Making it up. 

(2) Again all it said in the books was that he muttered something that included the words "My father" I am making this up which I believe is the entire point of fanfic. From now on I will not be pointing out and explaining every time I choose to do something to this effect. If you have issues with it then by all means review me and leave your email. I'd love to discuss my views with you all.

A/N: yes, I know I made Crabbe and Goyle very friendly with Alex here, or rather she's friendly with them...but when Alex likes a person she's their best friend and when she dis-likes someone.....So when she "re-met" the two of them in COMC.....I think you get the point.


	15. Enter the Plot

A/N: Well here it is. Another chapter, just like I promised. _And_ just like I promised(a loooong time ago) I have put in a bit of plot by the 15th chapter. There isn't a whole lot but my timeline is against me right now.

And, if I don't say this again(which I will) thank you reviewers!

thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!thank you!

There you go. Have fun.

* * *

The screams that echoed through the dank dungeon room were only recognizable as male if one listened hard and remembered that the screamer had been screaming that way for hours. Potion ingredients filled the shelves in every corner of the room and cold eyes watched the huddled figure in the room's very center.

At that moment, when the screamer fell temporarily silent, the door burst open and a frantic figure observed the goings on with wand in hand.

"Enough." The word was somewhere between a whisper and a squeak. "Master please. That is enough for now."

The figure in the center of the room, the screamer, rose to his feet with painful grace. The potion he'd been soaking in sloshing over the sides of the huge tub that had held it. The room's last occupant, a large snake, slithered forward, a thick black robe in its fangs.

"It would be enough, Wormtail." The figure half hissed, his voice nearly gone from screaming, "If you were not so _useless_!"

He stepped onto the cold stone floor deep beneath Riddle Manor and pulled on his cloak. The snake twined around his ankles and her now empty mouth opened to reveal her fangs to the useless servant of her master who cowered upon the stone before them both.

"Your spells are nearly pointless and your potions are worse!"

"B-but Master they a-are all I c-can find!" Wormtail stammered.

Red slitted eyes watched in silence while his only remaining servant squirmed. "Then you will find better." He finally murmured, the softness in his voice worse by far than the harsh anger of a moment before.

"I-I will m-my Lord!

"Yes," Lord Voldemort said calmly, exiting his dungeon. "you will."

* * *

"Watch the door!" Alex snapped. "The _Professor_ might decide he forgot something."

Draco and Professor Snape exchanged bemused glances as Vince and Greg moved to do just that, their wands out. Alex stalked over to the desk, _her_ wand in her left hand.

"Bastard Mudblood." She muttered angrily, cupping Draco's bruised face gently with her free hand. Snape's hand found it's way over his mouth.

"He'll be perfectly fine Miss Bellmonte."

"That is for me to decide Severus!" And in that moment Alex could have been her mother. A second after the words left her lips, however, time seemed to freeze in the room. Alex turned slowly to face the Professor, though her hand never left Draco's face. "Lord Snape...I..."

"_Professor_ Snape." Severus corrected coldly. "And I suggest you obtain a better leash for your tongue Miss Bellmonte. You'll need it if you ever plan to be successful in your battle with someone like Mad-Eye Moody."

"Yes, Professor. I apologize." Wincing at her blunder Alex turned back to Draco who seemed surprised that she wasn't a pile of ashes at his feet. "_LubeoUtValetudoDecoloAbsentisSano_!" the spell words were said all in one breath, as if they were only one spell even though Snape was sure he recognized the last word as a rather basic healing spell. It seemed the girl wasn't about to trust his word on Draco's continuing health.

"Merlin!" Draco yelped, drawing Snape's gaze back to his charge. Every cut, bruise or other injury on his person had vanished. Alex crossed her arms over her chest, a smug smile on her face.

"Never had the chance to try that one on a human before. Pretty clean job for a first go of it." She commented to the silent room.

"You what!" Draco yelled, fury in his eyes. "You've _never tried that one on a human before_!" he mocked her words. "Are you out of your bloody _mind_!"

"Me! Ha! With the level of pureness you Malfoys require in your mates, however, I wouldn't be surprised that such inbreeding has taken its toll on _your_ mind, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Alex's wand was still pointed at Draco's face from when she'd healed him. The fact that she left it there was suddenly much more menacing.

Draco grabbed her wrist and yanked her wand away from his face. "Why are you here Alex!" he demanded.

"Because you were a ferret!" she spat back fighting for control of her wand hand. "And because that…_Moody_ creature is a disgusting filthy _mudblood_ hardly good enough to kiss your boot heels!"

From his front row seat Snape firmly suppressed a smile.

Draco blinked at her, the strangest expression on his face. "Alex…"

"Oh shut up! It's not what you think, now give me _that_!" Alex succeeded in pulling her hand free of his grip. She turned to the Potions Master. "I would like to arrange a time to meet and discuss what you know about the so-called _Professor_ Moody, sir. I'll await an owl at your convenience."

"Very well, Miss Bellmonte."

Alex glanced at Snape. He had sounded…amused? Surely not. "Good evening boys." She said softly as she passed Vince and Greg. "I'll see you in class."

"Alex, wait." She turned to see Vince duck out the door behind her. She raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't someone go with you to watch your back?"

"In _Hogwarts_, Vince? It's not likely that Moody would attack me just for walking around." She brushed off his concern even while she was touched by it. "Besides, even if somebody did _I'm_ at full strength. Draco was literally shaking while he grabbed my hand…and not in anger."

Vince glanced over his shoulder, clearly wanted to get back to his friend at the news but he stubbornly held his ground. "Greg can take care of-"

"No he can't!" Alex yelled before getting ahold of her temper again. "And if I do get attacked you'd just be in my way. I fight alone."

Groaning and muttering something about "arrogant idiots" Vince disappeared back into Snape's office.

* * *

A/N: Alright I know that it's short but you have to forgive me. It's hard to write for He-Whose-Name-Should-Be-Shorter. And besides this chapter has PLOT! Now it will probably be some time until you all see where I'm going with this but you're more than welcome to review or email and try to guess. A hint: it'll involve…Drum roll please!…Alex! What a shock! Moving on. 

Update Info: I should have the next chapter up sometime on February 7th.


	16. DADA 01

A/N: I'm giving all of you the same offer I gave to the readers of my other fic. If I get 10 reviews by Friday I'll post my next chapter early.

Disclaimer: If I owned HP we'd see more of the emotional depths of characters besides Harry and there would be fewer Christians going around making idiots out of themselves by calling the books "works of the devil" (Oh and before you freak out on me I'm a strong Christian myself. I just think it's stupid the way other Christians behave over these stories. I mean come on! They're FICTION! But moving on. You're not here to listen to me whine.)

* * *

Blaise raised an eyebrow as Draco stepped into Defense Against the Dark Arts flanked by Vince and Greg.

"Didn't Draco declare that he wasn't going to attend a class given by 'that mudblood creature'?" Blaise asked quietly leaning over to Alex's side of the desk.

"Yes." Alex responded, pulling her copy of The Dark Forces: A guide to Self Protection from her bag.

"Then what's he doing here?"

"What?" Alex twisted around in her chair and accidentally met Draco's eyes. His gaze was bitter, angry and quickly shoved behind a mask of arrogance. "Don't ask me Blaise. The boy doesn't confide in me."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Best guess then."

She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "I'd say his father ordered him to."

"Good guess." Greg confirmed from the seat behind her, either ignorant of or simply ignoring Draco's glare.

"So, we're all here under orders," Blaise commented simply. "What a pity."

"What's a pity, Zabini?" a harsh voice asked. Professor Moody stood in the doorway. "Put those away, my pretties. You won't be needing those books."

"Then what did he make us buy them for?" they heard Pansy mutter to Milli.

"Did it cut into your pocket money too badly?" Milli responded nastily, obviously annoyed.

"According to Professor Lupin you are all very well acquainted with Dark creatures. Good. This year we'll be covering curses and how to deal with them. I'll be bringing you up to scratch on what one wizard can do to another." Moody swept the Slytherins in the class with both eyes. "I have a feeling that some of this class has the advantage over the rest of my students even though you aren't even supposed to learn anything on this topic until your sixth year."

A low level snicker ran through the Slytherins.

"So, curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, I'm only supposed to show you a couple of counter curses and call you prepared. I'm not going to do that. After all how are you supposed to defend yourselves against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you is not going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked causing one of the Hufflepuff girls to jump and almost fall out of her chair.

"So, can anyone tell me which curses are most heavily punished by the Ministry? I'll give you a hint there are three of them."

No one answered for a long moment. Moody fixed one eye on the group of Slytherins seated in front of him, the one that included Alex, Draco and all of their respective friends.

"If one of you lot do not answer me by the count of ten I will give detention to you all." There was another brief pause.

"1…2…3…"

Alex exchanged a glance with Blaise. It would seem they'd be playing Chicken with the professor.

"4…5…6…"

Draco yawned.

"7…8…9…"

Alex sighed and heard everyone else do the same.

"The Unforgivables are the Cruciatus Curse, the Imperius Curse and the Killing Curse." The entire group spoke as one, somehow all adopting Blaise's trademark bored monotone.

"I wonder which genius came up with the name for that last one." The real Blaise commented dryly.

"Then I take it I don't have to explain what it does. Now, first you mentioned the Cruciatus Curse." Professor Moody placed a jar of spiders on his desk. "This curse is a causer of pain. When cast properly the victim will experience pain in its purest form. The curse also leaves the victim completely unmarked, except for any injuries sustained when he or she thrashes around in a vain attempt to relieve the pain. However, prolonged or repeated exposure within a short space of time can cause a person to go mad or even die if blood vessels in their brain burst due to the strain. " He pulled a spider from the jar and muttered, "_Engorgio_." It swelled to the size of tarantula. "Pay attention! _Crucio_."

The spider's legs snapped in on it's body and it began to roll around, twitching horribly. Alex grimaced. Moody didn't remove his wand and it began to jerk even more violently. One could almost hear the screams in the deadly silent classroom even though the spider made no noise.

"As fascinating as this is Professor…" Draco snapped after a long moment. Moody pulled his wand away and the spider went limp. A collective sigh of relief rose from the Hufflepuffs. Alex twisted in her seat to look at Draco. His voice had sounded…odd and his face was paler than normal. Vince leaned over and whispered something to him. At once Draco brought white knuckled fists up out of his lap and flattened them on the desk top with an act of will.

"And _that_ is the Cruciatus Curse. What was next? Anyone?"

"The Imperius, Professor?" one of the braver Hufflepuffs spoke up.

"Exactly. The Imperius is a curse of control. Once cast it will allow the caster to wield the victim like a puppet. There are ways to fight it but that's next class. Right now all you're going to do it watch." Moody pulled a second spider from the jar and said, "_Imperio_."

The spider did a swan dive off Moody's hand and, upon landing on the desk started to cartwheel in a slow circle. The class began to snicker.

"Oh! Think that's funny do you? Would you still find it funny if it happened to you I wonder."

All laughter died. From behind her Alex distinctly heard a snort of disgust.

"Last is the curse I don't need to describe. The Killing Curse. Quite obviously it kills you. No marks. No proof. You are just completely and totally dead where you were alive a second ago." As he spoke the Professor reached in and grabbed one last spider. Placing it on his desk he pointed his wand at it solemnly. "_Avada Kedavra!" _he yelled.

There was a blinding flare of green light and a loud rushing noise, as if something huge was flying directly overhead. Then it all stopped and the spider was curled up on its back. Unmistakably dead without a single mark on it.

A gasp of horror and fear slipped out of most of the mouths in the room, including quite a few Slytherins.

"They're cruel and nasty." Moody finally spoke into the unbroken silence. "There aren't many ways to escape an Unforgivable. Your best bet is CONSTANT VIGILENCE!"

The whole class jumped.

"Keep your wits about you and you have a better chance of living to tell the tale. Class dismissed." That said Moody turned and strode from the room. Alex stood and slowly collected her things.

"There was no reason for that!" she snapped to the absent Professor but shoved her anger at him away as Blaise coughed, clearing his throat.

"I…well, it's one thing to read about them, even to learn how to perform them…" he trailed off, the ever present twinkle in his eyes dim.

"I know." Draco's voice was unexpectedly sympathetic. "The first time I saw my parents use them…well I very nearly did something the house elves wouldn't have approved of."

Blaise was staring at Draco. "You've seen _your parents_ use the Unforgivables!" he hissed.

Draco shot a glance at the retreating forms of the last few Hufflepuffs, watching them until the last one passed through the doorway. "All three." He said vaguely. "Avada Kedavra only once and it was on a house elf."

Alex resisted the urge to ask him who the other two had been practiced on. She had the feeling she knew the answer and she doubted he'd tell her anyway. Instead she said, "I've seen the Imperius before."

"Then you know what I mean." Draco commented wryly.

"I always know what you mean Draco. You're easy to understand."

Greg smirked at her, the typical banter helping them all regain their footing.

"Um, I hate to say this," Milli commented, coming over to join them. "But don't we have another class?"

* * *

A/N: Honestly people I won't type it again so read the one at the top of the page...and review! 


	17. Control

A/N: New chapter, a little jump to the next DADA class, just assume nothing else intertesting happens between then and now...cause it doesn't.I would know.

Disclaimer: I still own...well, not Harry Potter, but I was thinking of approaching JK with the idea that she let someone who can actually write do a series about the Marauder days.

* * *

By the time the second Defense Against the Dark Arts class ended Alex was more than angry with Professor Moody. She was on the warpath.

"Today class," Moody said a gleam in his eyes, "we'll be doing something a little different. You've all seen what the Unforgivables look like, but you don't know what they feel like…and you don't know how to fight them."

In her seat near the front of the room Alex froze. He couldn't possibly mean what she thought he…

"So, today I'll be placing each of you under the Imperious in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether you can resist its effects."

_But – but,_ Alex felt all the blood drain from her face. _but_ _that's illegal!_ _He can't really mean to_…

But apparently he did, for in the next second Alex and the rest of the students were on their feet and Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room.

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody, he seemed pleased that no one objected.

After a second Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperious Curse upon them. Alex watched as, one by one, her classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. A Hufflepuff, his first victim, danced wildly in circles. Pansy sang a nonsensical children's song. A tiny Hufflepuff girl and Greg, who were both under it at the same time, arm wrestled and the girl won. Not one of them really seemed to fight the curse after a second or two, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

"Bellmonte," Moody growled, "you're up."

Alex stepped slowly into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. The Professor raised his wand, pointed it at her and Alex had the sudden desire to run. A quiet voice said, "_Imperio!_"

A vague bliss wrapped itself around her taking away her worries and cares, but leaving her terror, because Alex knew exactly what was happening to her.

And then she heard a voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his brain, gentle and appealing:

:_Take down your hair…unbraid it and let it loose...:_

_Well, that wasn't too bad. Just unbraid it and you're home free girl. What's wrong with that?……………….BECAUSE YOUR WILL IS BEING SUBVERTED!_ another part of her yelled dimly.

:_Take down your hair...:_

_Don't do it! Don't!_

_I'm not going to,_ Alex assured the yelling voice.

:_Take it:_

_NO!_

Alex felt the voice in the back of her mind swell with fury and braced herself for what she knew would come next. Now was the pain and the punishment for disobedience. And just as she'd predicted, just as it had happened before, a wave of pain, almost like heated claws raked through her head.

Alex yelled and dropped to her knees. The bruising force reminding her that she was once again a part of a world outside her own head. She pressed her hands to the cold stone and hid from the rest of the class by the curtain of her hair…unbound.

"Alex?" Blaise whispered, crouching next to her.

"Don't touch her, Zabini. You're next!"

Blaise's head jerked up and he moved as if to pull his wand.

"No!" Alex whispered, grabbing his arm. "Don't be an idiot."

Growling under his breath, Blaise lifted her gently to her feet.

"Good. She didn't win, but she resisted longer than any of the rest of you. For a first try that way very impressive. Now you, Zabini!"

_Don't fight him, Blaise_! Alex begged as she fought not to cry. _There's something wrong with him. I could tell…he enjoyed that_!

* * *

"Alex!" Blaise called, catching up with her as she turned towards Common Room. "You have Ancient Runes next."

"Bite me!" Alex snapped continuing down her path. He let her go without another word as she stalked through the castle and threw herself on one of the black leather couches.

A second later the portrait hole opened again and Draco Malfoy stepped through. He looked surprised to find someone else there.

"Blowing off your classes?" he asked taking a seat near her.

"You know, you can bite me too! I don't need lectures!" Alex snarled back, shivering.

"Who was lecturing? I was _asking_. There's a difference you know."

Alex didn't respond.

Draco shrugged. "I'm skipping mine too and Moody's a bastard."

She jerked. "What!"

"You heard me. Maybe you didn't notice it, but he wasn't putting us under an Unforgivable for purely academic reasons."

"He enjoyed it!" Alex spat. "I fought him, he broke me to his will and he _enjoyed it_!"

Draco frowned. "You got that too?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. I mean what? Was he punishing us because he thinks we're going to go evil on him or is it just that we're Slytherins? Or does he really feel that way with everyone, but we're the only ones who noticed it because we knew what to expect?"

"I don't know. It certainly wasn't any gentler than my other experiences," Draco said, tactically admitting that he'd been under the Imperious before. "The action required was different, but that's all."

"In short it might as well have been either of our fathers in that classroom," Alex said, shivering again. Draco started and his eyes flew to hers, so she knew her guess had been right.

"Draco, I'm building a group of people who all hate Moody as much as I do."

"What for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in a pale imitation of his usual arrogance.

"What for?" Alex echoed. "We're going to take his life apart…then we're going to kill him."

Draco smiled from across the gap between their couches. "Count me in."

* * *

A/N: Review etc. 


	18. A Three Way

Okay...you probably got two emails about this chapter. That's cause I had to take it down and fix one thing. This is my original A/N

A/N: I...don't have anything to say.

OH! Yes I do! Tania Dethartis in this chapter!

Even better, my sister(also known on here as JaylynGilferBustinex) is the creator of Tania and she (with my help) is writing out Tania's story parallel to this fic. She has few chapters up right now and I HIGHLY recommend reading it if you want to know more about the Detharts. She's on my Favorite Authors list if you want to find her.

BUT! This is important. She has used the name Tania Dethart for two different characters in two different fics. The one you want to read is "Under the Surface"! (You do NOt want Slytherin Army: Death Eaters Reborn...at least if you're looking for the companion fic).

Sorry about the mix up.

* * *

Blaise cut through the other Slytherins heading for common room after dinner and drew even with Alex. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Going on? Is something going on, Blaise?" Alex flashed him a bright smile and kept walking.

"Yes, there is. Whatever you're up to."

"Up to?" She sniffed disdainfully. "I'm Alex Bellmonte! I'm never 'up to' anything...I plot, but that is all."

Blaise cut her down dryly with a simple, "You're going to have a Snitch fly up your nose if you keep it that high in the air for much longer."

"Well..." Alex stalled.

"Alex. It's not like I'm gonna blab to Milli...or like Milli for that matter."

Alex sighed. "I haven't asked Vince or Greg yet, but I don't think they'll mind..."

"Vince and Greg? You're conspiring with Draco's muscle? Without me?"

"Well, first off, I'll remind you that the Crabbe and Goyle lines are at least as old as Zabini _and_ that from what I can remember off the top of my head the Goyles are, in fact, an older House than yours."

"Uh...huh..." Blaise did not look inspired to care.

"_And_, you annoying git, I just said I haven't asked them yet. Meaning they aren't part of the plot yet. But I will be asking them. I'm going to need everyone I can get for this one...well everyone I can get _whom I trust_."

"You trust them?" Blaise asked seriously as he stepped into common room.

"Not with my life," Alex temporized, "but certainly with yours!" she added grinning.

"Oh thanks," he drawled. "Don't I feel loved."

"If you wanted to be loved you should've been a Gryffindor."

"True. True. Let's grab a table and you can tell me all about it."

"About being loved?" Alex shot her friend an incredulous look. "How would I know about that any more than you do?"

"No, silly, about your plottings. Here." Blaise pulled out a chair for her.

"Oh that." Alex smiled as she dropped onto the seat. Her friend chuckled and found his own chair. He then proceeded to watch her with seemingly infinite patience. Alex knew better but wasn't going to annoy the boy further by making him wait.

"Well, you know of our problem with Moody, correct?"

"I know about the ferret incident, I know that a quiet petition was passed around to ask our parents for leave to skip his class in protest...that was you, I'm assuming."

"And you saw how well _that_ worked," Alex confirmed bitterly. "Not one Slytherin missed Defense Against the Dark Arts, either by choice or by parental command. Any way you turn it, that's failure."

"Not your fault, though. I mean I never expected that protest to work. It's too public a display."

"I know but...hang on a second Blaise. Tania!" Alex called, spotting the other girl across the room. She froze at the bottom of the Dorm stairs and slowly turned towards them, her books clutched to her chest.

"Come join us," Alex called again, quieter. Tania didn't respond for a second.

"I was just going to get a book from my room," she finally said.

"Well, bring it back down and read here." Alex said, smiling wryly. "Even if we're that boring, you should be able to read."

Tania proceeded to pale brilliantly. "I-I wasn't trying to imply you were, Lady Bellmonte..."

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes, cutting the other girl off. "I'm not offended, but I will be if you keep calling me Lady Bellmonte. That's my mother."

"Alright, Alex," Tania agreed quickly. "I'll be right back." She threw a glance at Blaise, who was currently twirling a quill him his fingers and yawning, before fleeing upstairs.

"What was that?" Blaise asked as soon as Tania was out of sight.

"Do you realize that she doesn't talk to anyone? She's practically a ghost. The only times I've managed to catch sight of her since we got off the train she's been floating on the fringes of the fifth years, hiding behind Hunter. I haven't managed a word with her...and I've been _trying_. I can't tell if she's the best actress in the world or if she really is that fragile, but either way-" Alex abruptly cut herself off.

"What? Afraid you'll show that the Ice Queen has a heart after all?" Blaise teased gently. "You've noticed the same thing I have. Falon Dethart is a nasty little bugger, who also seems to be a budding sadist..."

"Not to mention he's annoying as hell. But you're right too. If she _is_ as fragile as she seems, well I like Hunter and _he_ seems to be trying his best to protect her..."

"Stop trying to excuse away your decision, Bellmonte. And if it makes you feel better I'll keep an eye out for her."

Alex smiled. "Go ahead, but don't go over board. You wouldn't want _another_ girl accusing you of stalking her, now would you?"

"I'm guessing we'll be covering your little plots later then?"

"Can't distract you with anything. Ah! There you are."

Blaise jumped to his feet as Tania appeared once more on the scene, a heavy text under one arm and note supplies clutched in her hand. She froze for the barest second as he pulled out a chair for her, then gingerly sat down.

Once she was safely at the table, Blaise returned to his seat. "What are you reading?" he asked kindly.

"_Potions of the 13th Century_," Tania responded in a low voice, making a show of laying out her parchment and quills to avoid looking at him.

"Really?" Alex leaned in towards Tania a little. "I've heard of that one but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Will you let me know if it's any good once you finish? I'd love to borrow it off you if it is."

"Of-of course," Tania agreed, sending Alex a look out of the corner of her eye that Alex would have expected off of Blaise, not her. It clearly read _"How the bloody hell haven't you read this book? What have you been doing with your life instead?"_

Alex grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Anyway," she changed the subject, "we were talking about Moody. I must say the bloody man bugs me."

"He's not even one of _those_ Professors. The ones that condescend us because we're Slytherin," Blaise explained to Tania.

Tania nodded, but from the look on her face she was only acknowledging the explanation.

"You disagree?" Alex asked.

Tania paled, but answered. "Yes. Well, I mean, maybe he's nicer to you older students..."

"He's not," Alex said flatly, thoughts of their lesson earlier filling her mind.

"What _I_ meant," Blaise broke in, lightening the mood just by being there. "is that, while he does condescend and poke at us, he seems to...to understand us I guess?" For once Blaise actually looked like he was at a loss for words.

From across the table Tania was nodding slowly. "_Those_ professors act out of a fear of an unknown but assumed evil, while Moody knows what we are and what he's dealing with and acts according to that...so it's different even if the result is the same," she murmured to herself.

"Exactly!" Blaise exclaimed causing Tania to jump out of her skin. "That's it exactly. Ha! Beauty _and_ brains. I do believe she's the perfect woman, Alex." He reached over and took Tania's hands in his. "My dear, would you do me the honor of marry-OW! ALEX!"

Alex waved her wand at him. "Put the girl's hands _down_ and I won't have to hit yours again."

"Tania, he was joking," Alex assured the bright red girl. "Never, and I repeat _never_, believe a proposal from him unless it comes in the form of a letter from his grandmother with your parent's signature on the bottom as well. I would know from experience."

She sent a pointed glare at the smirking Blaise. He rearranged his face for a moment and managed to look a little bit contrite. It didn't last long though.

"Besides, I think we've covered that she was too young for you. What about your familial duties?"

Blaise grinned. "Oh I believe I could work myself up to the task..."

"_Blaise_!" Alex yelled, pointing her wand at his nose. "Talk about Moody," she ordered threateningly.

"Fine. Fine. Just put your wand away." Once she'd complied, Blaise smiled. "I didn't know you were this into old men though, Alex m'dear."

Alex's hand dove back into her pocket.

"Okay, OKAY! Tania, say something insulting about Professor Moody!" Blaise yelped. "Quickly, girl! I'm seeing my life flash before my eyes!"

"I...I..." Tania stuttered frantically before spitting out what could only have been the first thing to pop into her mind. "P-Professor Moody is an immature, idiot of a scum bag. His mother was an owl and his father was a Triverian maggot! He fornicates with his dust bins!"

Alex froze. "W-what?" she asked in a strained voice.

"Oh I think you heard her, Alex."

* * *

A/N: Mwahahahahahahaha! Blaise just brings out the worst in everyone doesn't he? He is SO my favorite character! Review! ...and don't forget to check out the Tania fic!(Remember, Under the Surface) 


	19. Down One

A/N: Now I know what you're all thinking. It's not Monday(or Tuesday, depending on timezones). There shouldn't be an update. Well, that's because this is a celebratory update.

I have finished figuring out a list/outline of every single scene I will need to write to finish Alex and Draco's 4th year at Hogwarts.. WooHoo!

Anyway, what it comes down to is this, (PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS PART) to get them on the train going home requires somewhere around 35-40 chapters. Which means this story will be at chapter 55-60. What I want to know is this: Do you think I should stop at the end of the year as it seems a natural ending place and then write a sequal covering the summer before and all of their 5th year?

Everything in said sequal will be written and posted either way but all of the plot from that time period will take up another 50-60 some odd chapters. It just seems better to break them up even if the Plot started in "Veil" hasn't been wrapped up yet by then.

Review and let me know what you think. Thanks.

I don't own Harry Potter...but if Draco Malfoy is up for sale I'm interested...

* * *

"…with his dust bins…" Alex whispered for the seventh time, tears slipping from her eyes as she laughed. "I'll never be able to look the man straight on again!"

"Especially if I'm there to remind you of this little conversation," Blaise replied, grinning. After a second he sobered, his gaze traveling to the stairs that led to the Girls' Dorm. "She certainly has a set of legs on her," he commented softly.

"What?"

"Tania. She sure can run."

"Mmm. Yeah. One step forward, if she's forced to, then run away…whether it was successful or not." Alex sighed and wiped her eyes.

"So," Blaise said, glancing around the room to make sure everyone else was out of earshot, "back to the Moody problem."

"The next person who tells me you're laid back and easy going is going to get an earful," Alex muttered.

Blaise laughed. "As long as I get one first…"

"Alright! Fine! Right now our plans are two prong. Recruitment and Reconnaissance."

Blaise started to smile and opened his mouth to tease Alex about how seriously she was taking all this, when he realized she really _was_ being serious. Dead serious.

"_Our_ plans?"

"Yes, mine and Draco's."

"Draco Malfoy? Your brought _him _in before me!"

"I wasn't the only person who didn't feel up to going to class after Moody was done with us," Alex explained offhandedly before switching subjects. "Now, on the one hand, we're trying to gather as many like-minded people together so we know who we can count on if things get hairy."

"Well, I'm certainly 'like-minded' and you know I'm with you, Alex."

She inclined her head towards him in acknowledgement. "On the other, we're putting plans in motion to investigate our beloved Professor."

"What?"

Alex nodded seriously and ticked off on her fingers. "His house, his office, his classroom, his suite here, his Ministry records."

"_What_!"

"For starters. From that we'll have a good idea who and what we're up against and where to continue looking."

"Alex are you out of your _mind_!" Blaise exclaimed grabbing her arm. "He _transfigured _a _Malfoy_ for casting a spell at Potter! What more would he do to you if he caught you in any of those places!"

Alex met his gaze soberly. "Then he won't catch us. Simple as that."

"Alex!"

"Blaise!" she yelled cutting through his panic. "Blaise," Alex lowered her voice, "I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to slip into his office between classes! I'll wait until I know he's somewhere else for a few hours, holding detention with Greg, if he's willing, or something. I haven't put down specifics for my diversion yet."

Blaise let out a shaky breath. "Merlin, Alex!"

"_Now_ you know why I'm not spreading this around. We have several other people who we'll bring in once we have all our information. Once we have it we don't have to say where we got it, you know."

He nodded and the two continued to talk as the Common Room slowly emptied out and darkness fell outside. Finally Blaise leaned back in his chair and gave a bone popping stretch.

"So, as for the timing of the first invasion…well, if he's living here he won't be at his home while school is in session. I think we'll have to do it then."

"While school is in session? "Alex frowned thoughtfully. "But if he discovered his house was broken into and we were all absent from classes on a specific day…"

"What about Hogsmeade weekends?" Blaise asked suddenly.

"What about them?"

"School is in session, but we won't be expected to be in the castle."

"I don't know, Blaise. You and me are usually pretty obvious then. Front booth by the window for a while, maybe some shopping together then back to the castle, every time? Somebody is bound to notice we aren't there."

"And if we are there?"

"Then we won't be in Moody's house. What are you saying!"

"No, no listen. _I_ will be in Hogsmeade with a girl whom we will convince everyone is you."

"Who looks like me, Blaise?" Alex asked, gesturing to her face. "Or at least who has my hair and is about my height?"

It seemed she'd hit the mark. Blaise fell silent for several minutes, then grinned. "Tania does. Hers is a little shorter and a little more reddish while yours is blue/black but she's about your height."

"No," Alex said firmly. "No, bloody, way. I am not going to get her involved in this."

"Who said anything about getting her involved?" Blaise countered easily. "You've stood me up for some research project of yours and would she mind filling the second seat I've reserved at the restaurant. You know her, she'll keep her hood up and her face down."

"And if we make sure someone overhears us talking about meeting up for Hogsmeade…" Alex trailed off and sighed. "I wish I could think of something else."

"You could let Draco, Crabbe and Goyle do all the searching." Blaise suggested.

"No!" Alex said, violently rejecting that idea. "This is _my_ problem and _my_ feud."

"Agreed. Now the next Hogsmeade weekend is in three weeks, right after Halloween."

Alex nodded. "We can be ready by then. If you set up things with Tania, Draco and I will talk to Vince and Greg, and figure out a way to get from here to Moody's place and back."

"You got it. Will you be going alone?"

"No. If Vince and Greg agree to cover for him then Draco can come with me to watch my back. No one will doubt their word on where he is. They're supposed to be too dumb to lie."

"Makes sense."

"Good." Alex stood and gathered her things.

"Hey, Alex?"

She turned back to her best friend.

"Be safe. I know you hate him, but he isn't worth your life."

Alex scoffed. "He'll never be in a position to take it."

"And try to trust Draco while you're in there. He'll be your only ally."

"Don't worry about me, Blaise. I'll either die now or I'll die later, but either way, Draco or no Draco, there's no stopping it." Shrugging her bag onto her shoulder she headed silently up to her dorm. After a moment Blaise did the same.

* * *

A/N: Remember review! Sequal or no sequal?

And go read "Under the Surface" that you may know Tania a little better.

OH! And don't worry. you'll still get your regular update on time.


	20. The Other Side of Things

A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! Here I promised you an update on time and now it's Tuesday and I just realized I totally forgot to post one. I blame the SAT! Forgive me. :sobs and grovels:

* * *

The third door down, on the right side of the Boys' Dorm, opened softly. A waist length black braid bounced against her back as a girl made her way down the hall and skipped lightly down the stair leading to Common Room. She paused on the landing and glanced over her shoulder. A thoughtful smile flickered over her face as the door she'd just left clicked shut.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Greg asked, turning away from the door.

"She's absolutely serious." Vince replied slowly from his seat on his bed.

"I got that. She truly thinks she hates Moody…actually she really may, but she also fears him."

"Probably _why_ Alex hates him. She wouldn't take fear any better than Draco does. They're two of a breed. Highly powerful, highly prideful-"

"High-strung." Greg interrupted, smirking.

Vince shrugged. "That too. The point it, she views Moody as a threat, but, apparently, a threat she feels capable of handling."

"Not quite." Greg put in, finding a seat near his friend. "If she truly thought she could handle him she would never have come to us. Even if she did confide her plans in somebody it would be Zabini. If Alex is asking us for help…" he shook his head. "She's not just afraid, she's terrified and she's calling on anyone she thinks she can trust for help."

"And she trusts _us_?" Vince asked incredulously, unknowingly copying Blaise's comment from earlier. "We only really met her…ah…a week ago. Maybe two."

"But we've earned her respect. She said it herself, Draco's her equal. If _he_ considers us worthy companions then she'll take his word on it…now that she knows we're not just mindless cronies that is."

Vince laughed. "We must have been doing a better job than we thought if we managed to fool her so completely."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with that one." Greg allowed himself a smirk. "but back to the issue at hand."

"The real issue, as I see it, is not Moody at all. It's Draco."

"Really?" the mentioned boy asked from the doorway. "How so?"

Vince shot his friend a level gaze. "You're messing with her."

Draco chuckled. "Really?" he asked again. "How so?"

"Not sure, entirely, but I'm not an idiot. I _have_ spent more than a second around you. You are up to something."

"So, why is that a problem? I'm _always_ up to something."

"Greg can be convincing when he wants to and in this case I happen to agree with him. She's terrified and desperate. She would know better than to trust you otherwise."

Greg snorted. Draco shot him a glare.

"I'd rather not let her think she has support and then find out later that you're going to make her problem worse."

"Awwww! I think lil' Vincey is sweet on Alex." Draco clasped his hands beneath his chin and sent Vince his best "come hither" stare. Vince glared at him wordlessly.

"Come on, Draco. You know the Code(1) as well as we do. _Prize Honor above all else. Once lost it can never be regained._ If we agree to do this we're in all the way. If you double cross her to prove your point, whatever that may be, then you'll be crossing us as well...and probably getting us into the same mess you're getting her into."

"And what mess is that?" Draco asked, a hard note edging his voice. Silence reigned for a moment as Vince and Greg exchanged looks. Finally Vince spoke up.

"Turning her in...to Moody or to Dumbledore."

Draco's eyes narrowed slowly and he was breathing through clenched teeth. "Not. Going. To. Happen." He bit out at last.

"Why?" Greg challenged.

Draco hesitated, as if considering his options.

"Try truth Draco. It's easier to keep straight."

"Moody needs a lesson more than Alex does...right now."

The other two exchanged another glance and shrugged. "Agreed."

"So," Greg leaned forward, interest gleaming in his eyes, "what are our plans?"

Draco smirked. "I think you're going to like this."

* * *

"Good evening, gentlemen." Alex greeted approaching where Greg and Vince sat across from Draco in the Great Hall.

Draco turned and smirked in a way that was almost a smile, extending his hand to help her over the bench.

She took it, throwing Draco a grateful look as she settled herself next to him. From next to Greg Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Good evening yourself." Draco responded once she'd settled herself.

"So?" she asked quietly, ignoring the food spread out before her and leaning closer to Draco.

"They're on board and they know their part of the plan." He smirked again. "We did get called 'bloody idiots' and a few other unrepeatable things though."

Alex laughed and glanced at the two boys under discussion. "I've been called worse, I promise you. As long as they settled down after a while we're fine."

It was Draco's turn to laugh. "If they hadn't settled down I wouldn't have let them out of the dorm."

"Good." Finally Alex turned to the lavish dinner before her and made herself a plate. "Mmm. Potatoes, Draco?"

He raised and eyebrow and shrugged. "What the hell."

"So, now all we have to do…Oh! Blaise! I forgot." She all but dropped the bowl of potatoes in Draco's lap as she whirled away to look at her friend. "Did you talk to Tania?"

"Tania? Who-"

"Dethart idiot. You introduced us you know." Alex shot absently over her shoulder at the boy who'd held her undivided attention until a second ago.

Greg and Vince snorted at the expression on Draco's face.

"Yeah, it took some doing, that girl is as shy as you aren't, but I finally got her to promise me she'd go. I'll just have to find her before she has a chance to give me the slip on the day of and we'll be fine."

"Good! _Now_ all we have to do," once again Alex was just inside Draco's personal space, her entire being focused on only him, "is get down the details of _our_ part."

Draco blinked for a minute before he caught up. "When? Saturday night for starters?"

Alex smiled brilliantly and Draco felt as if someone had walloped him over the head with a wand. "My dorm or yours?" she asked.

Draco coughed and took a hasty swallow of his water. "Common Room?" he suggested. "One?"

"Deal. See you then." Alex stood up and left the hall briskly. Draco watched her go then glanced at her plate. Somewhere in the conversation she'd eaten her dinner, though he couldn't remember seeing her do it.

The trio across the table burst out laughing.

"I…take it you've never seen Alex on a mission before, Draco?" Blaise asked, still snickering.

"I guess not." Draco muttered, belatedly remembering to glare at the three co-conspirators. It only set them off again.

"Care to share the joke?" Pansy asked with feigned interest, slipping up behind Draco and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Blaise smiled politely and shook his head. Pansy shrugged.

"Draco?" she asked, leaning close, "a word?"

He shrugged, glared at the trio once more and shoved a last spoonful of potatoes into his mouth before following Pansy from the Hall. "Well?" he demanded once they'd passed through the doors.

She lifted on shoulder, the corresponding corner of her mouth lifting slightly as well. "I'm bored, Draco. Aren't you?"

"Not really." He responded.

She seemed taken aback for a moment then recovered herself. "Well, I'm not doing anything tonight. Will you have a half-hour free?"

Draco frowned slightly. He needed to work late tonight and tomorrow if he was going to be free to meet Alex on Saturday. "Sorry, Pansy. I have homework."

Without waiting for her response he walked farther down the hall, heading for his dorm. It was only as he spread his books out across his desk that he realized he'd just turned down one girl for another…something he'd never done before.

And it wasn't, he realized, annoyed, as if he was trading sex for sex. He was trading sex for…well, Alex wasn't going to sleep with him, _that_ he was sure of.

Aw, to hell with it! He had too much to do to worry about a stupid decision and this History of Magic homework was killer.

* * *

A/N: There you go. Review.

(1) I found a pic when googling the word Slytherin of a piece of parchment with sweeping red lettering across it. It was a code of honor/list of rules for Slytherins supposedly handed down from Salazar himself. I've always really liked it so that's where the quote came from. I'll probably include the entire thing in my next Interlude, a list of Slytherin rules etc.


	21. Unnecessary

A/N: Okay so I debated with myself a looong time about posting this chapter. See there's really no point to it except a tiny glimpse into Blaise's past, and it doesn't line up very well with the rest of the chapters around it…but, finally, because I couldn't help myself I settled on a compromise.

The first half of this is the Questionable Blaise stuff, the second half is a little bit of PLOT(woot woot!) that I put in so this chapter wouldn't be completely worthless.

You have permission to ignore the first half and(yes yes I _know _there are some minor glitches in it) please don't review about a problem with it unless it's just killing you(or if you're really confused).

That's all kiddies.

* * *

"That's all. Yer free t' go. Just remember t' come down ever' other evenin' and take notes on our lil beauties," Hagrid said as Care of Magical Creatures ended one day near the end of October.

"I will not," Draco said flatly. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," Hagrid growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book...I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."

The Gryffindors roared with laughter and Vince and Greg had to grab ahold of Alex to keep her from drawing her wand on _another_ teacher. She struggled against their significant bulk briefly and settled for glaring slow murder at the Professor.

Draco ground his teeth, the memory of his father's orders still strong in his mind. The effort of controlling his rage brought a faint pink flush to his face.

"Draco," Greg said in a low voice, "class is over."

It was all the reminder he needed. Draco whirled and stalked off. The other boys kept a firm hold on Alex as they followed. When Draco saw what they were doing he raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"Don't give me that look, Malfoy!" Alex snapped, yanking herself free. Arriving in the slowly filling Entrance Hall, Alex had a clear view of the newly posted notice.

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**The delegation from Beaubatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the 30 th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.**

Spotting Blaise, Alex made her way towards him. He pushed towards her when he saw the look on her face.

"Bad lesson?" he asked sympathetically.

"That…_oaf_ Hagrid dared to-"

"Bring up the ferret incident." Draco interrupted her with dry amusement in his voice. "I've never seen anything else that can make Alex lose her temper faster than that."

"Go away Malfoy." Blaise ordered good naturedly. Draco just glared at him. Blaise sighed. "Unless you want her to do something worse to you for tormenting her I suggest you leave until I remind her that she has a brain and should use it."

Shrugging Draco moved away, Vince and Greg following.

"_Remind me I have a brain_?" Alex asked dangerously.

"Lex!" Blaise snapped taking ahold of her shoulders. "what the bloody hell is up with you and this ferret thing! You take more offense at it than Draco does!"

"Have you ever been on the wrong side of a forced human transfiguration?"

"No…have you?"

Alex grimaced. "Yes. It isn't pleasant let me tell you."

"When? How?" Blaise's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he growled.

"Not Moody." Alex glanced around the now crowded hall. "My parents if you must know. And this is hardly the time."

"Fine! But you will tell me and you have got to stop leaping to Draco's defense over this. It looks…"

"Yes?"

"It looks bad Alex. Think about it for more than a second and you'll see what I mean."

Alex frowned and glared up at her friend. "Not really, no." she snapped.

"Then you're being dense on purpose Alexandria! People are starting to call you Draco's watchdog and Malfoy's Mistress. Not where I can hear them of course. They know better."

"Aw, Blaise!" Alex mocked. "Are you playing my older brother? How touching!"

"You are touched!" Blaise yelled. "In the head!" grabbing her arm he dragged her into a side hallway empty of people. "Do you really want people considering you Draco's plaything?"

"I don't care what people think, as long as it isn't the truth. If I really was Draco's plaything…" Alex stopped and shook her head, chuckling bitterly. "Look Blaise I appreciate the concern. Really, I do. But this isn't your problem."

Blaise just watched her, his eyes darkening slightly. "Draco isn't some kind of wounded animal. He takes what he wants from whoever has it, regardless of what it'll do to them. He may even be a sadist, from what I've heard, and he doesn't cast a sound shield around his bed, it's very likely. Draco has power, that's why they come back. Not because it's pleasurable for them. Keep that in mind."

He began to turn away, but Alex grabbed his arm.

"I'm not an idiot." She said bluntly. "Neither is Pansy, Milli and every other girl who's ever had anything to do with Draco, sexual or otherwise. They use him _just as much_ as he uses them. And I don't get my information through overheard sounds in the dark of night. Girls talk about this stuff, face to face, all the gory details."

Blaise frowned.

"And if you must know, from what I've gathered Malfoy never did anything they didn't ask for."

A slow ripple, that would have been a shudder in a girl raced up Blaise. The ice in Alex's gaze melted.

"I…" he whispered.

"I know it's hard for you. If I had your past I'd see it everywhere too, but I can promise you _Draco wasn't abusing anyone_."

A long, shaking sigh escaped his lips. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure. Merlin, Blaise." Alex whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist, a fiercely protective light gleaming in her eyes. "How long has this been eating at you?"

It seemed that he'd been waiting for an invitation. Blaise grabbed her in a bear hug, crushing her in his desperate clutches. "The memories…the dreams have been…bad…lately…."

"I'll bet." Alex said sympathetically. Blaise's past was different from her own, in that his parents had been worse than hers. Bad enough to get themselves caught and convicted. When she'd first met him he'd been massively different than he was now but with his parents gone he'd eventually bounced back. These days his bad days were less often than hers and he rarely would talk about them. "Shall I ask Draco to control himself?"

Blaise laughed weakly. "I think I'd like to watch that conversation."

"Sure thing, ya lecher. I'll set it up."

She felt him relax beside her and he loosened his hold. "Gods I have such a headache. You working with him so closely when I had it in my head that he…" he sighed.

"Even if he isn't some kind of abusive animal in bed I'm still not going to prove the rumors true." Alex pushed off Blaise and shot him a Look. "You should know better than to listen to rumors about me."

"Okay, so I'm a blind, forgetful person. You should still cool it with the ferret thing though, Lex."

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes, but the appearance of several Ravenclaws kept her perfectly scathing response in her mouth. Instead an annoyed, "I'll try." emerged.

"You do that…" Blaise trailed off as Alex rubbed her nose. "You okay?"

She paused in her attempt to pinch it pointy. "It's a little squashed." She complained, easily changing the subject away from her and Draco.

He winced. "Sorry."

"Stop that!" She sighed. "You're such a moron you know. You may squash me any day…as long as it's in private, or the witnesses are people nobody would miss."

"You're a bloody idiot."

"Yeah, so what's your point?"

* * *

"Hey, baby," the rough female voice wove its way through the mid-afternoon air, "wanna have a little _fun_?" The witch, her hair obviously bleached to a straw blond, twirled her wand suggestively, her robes slipping from her left shoulder.

Inside his own, faded, black robes, Wormtail shivered. He had little experience with the various activities she was blatantly insinuating and, while the idea terrified him, it also made his mouth go dry in longing.

Finally, the fact that his funds couldn't sustain any kind of detour kept him from turning aside. Wormtail shivered again as he walked. What sunlight made it into Knockturn Alley was dim, filtered and cold.

His mission was elegant in its simplicity, but a _headache_ in practice. He needed to find something, _anything_, that could sustain the life of his Lord. Or, if by some miracle, a spell or a potion that could bring him back to a body.

The inconspicuous store front on the infamous "Jackle's" loomed up suddenly in his vision. Wormtail swallowed and tried to affect a casual, unconcerned air as he pushed the door open.

The interior was not what he expected. It wasn't dark; rather, huge skylights brought sunlight into the interior, shining on rows of black shelves and the books they contained. The only smells that drifted to his nose were those reminiscent of a library; books, paper, ink and dust.

Starting to relax, he'd always liked libraries and the peace and quiet that came with them, Wormtail decided to start on the left.

Working his way across the store went faster than he'd expected, probably because most of the books he came across were ones he'd already searched through in his Master's library. Only a few were new, and thus required that he actually crack the cover, and all of these were completely useless. Wormtail frowned.

Where were the books on deep magic? Illegal magic? Blood magic and sacrifice magic? Why was this place infamous if all they offered was _this_ drivel!

That thought pulled him up short and Wormtail almost laughed. Of course! Infamous it might be but that didn't mean it was safe to have such illegal works displayed in the front room.

He turned, a slightly manic gleam in his eye, and walked up to the service counter. When no one appeared to help him he knocked loudly on the wooden top.

Jackle knew when the…_creature_ entered his shop. It would have been impossible to miss, even if he didn't have spells and wards up to inform him of such comings and goings.

This man smelled of death….death and desperation.

As he prowled around in the front room Jackle kept his seat. When he walked up to the counter, nervous excitement adding itself to his scent, Jackle ignored him.

But when he started knocking on the newly polished counter top Jackle got annoyed. Heaving himself nimbly off his chair he stalked out into the store, casting a baleful glare at the short wizard.

"Yes?" he barked.

The customer jumped just a tiny bit and Jackle almost smiled.

"I…" he leaned in over the counter, as if sharing a secret. "I would like to see your…_private_ stock."

Jackle scowled. The wizard wasn't one of the Great Families, wasn't one of his good customers, wasn't known to Jackle at all…and he obviously wasn't a friend of one of those who were or he would have known better than to ask like that.

Worse, for the man not Jackle himself, the creature smelled like a thief. And while Jackle would sell to almost anyone he drew the line at rude, desperate, death obsessed thieves.

"I'm sorry," he said coldly, "I have no idea what you're talking about. This is the extent of my stock. If you would like to special order a specific volume I'm sure something could be arranged."

The man's face fell and for a second Jackle watched as terror and fury chased themselves around it. But then the little wizard pulled himself up and pulled his wand.

"You _will_ show me your private stock of dark books or-"

"Leave." Jackle spat, the word a trigger for one of his wards.

Wormtail found himself flying through the air and slamming into the stones of Knockturn Alley. Glancing up as he scrambled to his feet he saw Jackle stride to the door.

"You are no longer welcome in my establishment. If you attempt to visit again your next removal won't be nearly as pleasant."

And the door was shut in Wormtail's face.


	22. One plus Two

The crush of humanity was insane. Draco was willing himself to become more liquid as he tried to ride out the flow of the entire Slytherin House trying to go from Common Room to the Entrance Hall all at once. He was more than a little glad when Greg and Vince found him. Their solid, glaring presence at his back gained him some breathing room.

He tossed them a grin and tugged his robes closer to perfection. "Thanks. I'd hate for Squashed Malfoy to end up on the menu for the evening."

"Yet another way you're unique."

The trio turned. Alex grinned and waved minutely from her spot against the wall.

"Any of you seen Blaise?" she called, "He _was_ here...Ow!" and she was down, a fast moving boy having slammed into her and disappeared. "Bloody first year! I'll see him hanged."

Draco leaned back to his friends, "Opinions?"

"She'll owe you if you help her out." Greg put in, easily manipulating Draco.

"Good enough for me." He shrugged and together they forced their way over to the wall. Draco leaned down and offered her a hand. "Perhaps you require a rescue m'lady?"

She wrinkled her nose and then, giving up on her bad mood, laughed. "You have 'perhaps'ed correctly. My thanks." Alex rested her hand in his and, after a second, his warm fingers closed over hers. He lifted her to her feet with seeming ease.

"My pleasure. Anything else I can do for you?" he asked, feeling magnanimous.

"I still need to find Blaise." Alex replied. "Any suggestions?"

"Of course." Draco appeared to think hard, then suddenly brightened. "I've got it! The Perfect Plan!"

"Do tell." She replied as the crowd continued to flow past.

"Well," Draco grinned and jerked a thumb at Greg and Vince, "we make them do it."

Alex burst out laughing and Vince rolled his eyes.

"_Or_," Greg said in all seriousness, "I could spell a big flashing neon sign above your head that reads, 'Zabini wanted. Apply here if qualified'..."

"Oh no!" Alex choked out, "not a _flashing_ neon sign! They're so tacky, he'd never live it down!"

"Very well." Greg agreed, sweetly, "I promise it won't flash."

"Come on!" Draco grouched. "I'm sure we'll find him when they line us up outside."

Alex shrugged and followed after him, the river of students now a thin trickle. "So, I take it you _don't_ want a neon sign floating above your beautiful hair?"

"I do _not_ have 'beautiful hair'." Draco mocked Alex's tone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed in mock apology, "You're _hot_, _manly_, and _seductive_ beautiful hair. Better?"

Draco nodded soberly. "Much. My thanks."

Alex inclined her head...and it seemed the double dose of pompousness was the proverbial straw. From behind them both Greg and Vince burst out laughing.

Delayed as they had been they were among the last students to arrive at the scene of barely controlled chaos that was the Entrance Hall. From off to their left they heard Professor McGonagall's voice, tense, but still calmly restoring order to her House. A few, shuffling, moments after the Gryffindors were lined up the Hufflepuffs followed suit.

"Is this your best?" Professor Snape asked coldly, appearing before the gathered Slytherins. Somewhere around seventy pairs of eyes flew to glare furiously into his. That instant the Slytherins were in their lines.

Snape smiled thinly. "Better." He paused and his gaze flicked over them. "Remember, this is _your_ castle. Trade insult for insult and courtesy for polite disdain."

His students grinned and, if anyone had been looking at Slytherin house just then, provided a show of Slytherin-ness unlike what the school had seen in years.

As they all proceeded into the cold evening air Alex leaned forward, "Mmm." She murmured into Draco's ear. "Fresh meat."

"Ten galleons the new students will sit with us at dinner." He muttered back, annoyance in his voice.

"Ick. Bloody leeches." She grimaced, then remembered herself and smoothed her features. "Fine, I'll take that bet."

The entire human population of Hogwarts currently arranged to perfection on the steps leading into the school they settled back on their heels and waited. The evening was clear and cold, the sun and moon just beginning to exchange positions. Not a hint of anyone or anything arriving was evident. After several long minutes of patient silence some of the other students began talking among themselves.

As they were lined up by year, and since Gryffindor was to their immediate right, Alex had little difficulty overhearing part of a one, Ronald Weasley's, comment. She lifted and eyebrow. What did he just say about PortKeys?

A hand tapped her left shoulder. She turned her head and found Blaise. He nodded towards the boy she'd just been listening to. "Can you imagine the logistics of setting up a PortKey that could bring that many people that distance at once?"

Draco scoffed. "Worse still they'd be coming from under the magical protections of their school and landing underneath ours. That makes it nearly impossible."

"Not everyone knows as much as we do." Alex tempered slightly. "Just because _we_ know that PortKeys use a similar network as Apparations, and that they work almost exactly..."

"Aha!"

They all fell silent as the Headmaster started to speak.

"Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches."

"Where?" a good portion of the student body asked in various level of volume, including a few over-excited Slytherin first years. No one else from that House showed anything more than polite interest in the proceedings.

"There!" someone else shouted, pointing out over the Forbidden Forest.

A huge shadow was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years. A Hufflepuff, Alex noted.

"Don't be stupid," a Gryffindor boy said, "it's a flying horse!"

Somehow Alex doubted it was either….but it appeared the Gryffindors guess was closer…. As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The first three years of students, those in the very front, drew backwards as the carriage hurtled lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed. Alex watched it, amused at the frightened reactions of the younger students. Did they honestly think it would crash? Run them over?

An enormous crash announced the landing of the carriage.

"Ow! Am I destined to be abused by idiots!" Alex spat, drawing her flattened foot away from her Gryffindor year mate. "Watch yourself, Longbottom!"

He glanced back at her with wide eyes and did not look away until Alex lifted her own, furious eyes to the arriving vehicle. The large blue doors, embossed with the school's coat of arms slid open silently, a boy in pale blue robes jumping down and unfolding a set of golden steps. He sprang back and the largest woman to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts made her appearance. The size of the horses and the carriage was immediately explained.

A few people gasped. Draco snorted. "Some people just make it easy to tell how pure their blood is," he muttered.

"Any relation to Hagrid, d'you suppose?" Blaise replied.

His observation was never commented on because at that moment Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

A dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind their Headmistress. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk and none of them were wearing cloaks. They were all staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

Alex felt the desire to smirk. A few were from families that it would be better to leave alone, but most were not. She almost hoped Draco would win their bet, for if any of these, or the students from Durmstrang, _did_ try and suck up…well, all who annoyed her were free game. And once this year was over she would never see them again, thus, no worries about long term rivalries. Her evil schemes were interrupted first by Blaise tugging on her braid and then by Madame Maxime's voice.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" she asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses – "

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other – er – charges."

"My steeds require – er – forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong…."

"I assure you the Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"Single-malts?" Draco drawled just loud enough to be heard by the departing students, a heavy note of sarcasm in his voice, "how crude. Our stable is watered with nothing less than _pure_…" by that point the other school had gone completyely and so Draco didn't have to finish his statement. He grinned. "I do believe that I made some of them blush."

"Of course you did." Pansy said, leaning in to join the conversation. "Their French. They'll be _easy_-"

A loud and eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed...

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, the Gryffindor known for his highly biased commentary at the school's Quidditch games. "Look at the lake!"

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water – except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks – and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor...

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool...

"It's a mast!" Harry Potter proclaimed into the silence.

"Really, Potter!" Draco sniped quietly, "It _is_!"

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor.

People were disembarking and slowly filing up to the castle steps. As they drew nearer their uniforms became visible in the dark and Alex raised an eyebrow. They were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

When he reached Dumbledore, he shook his hand with both of his own. "Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling in a way that did not hide his cold and shrewd gaze. "How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth...you don't mind do you Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. Alex eyed him as he passed but he was entirely unknown to her.

It would seem, however, that he _was_ known to a good portion of the student body, and that he was someone of some kind of importance. She filed that bit of knowledge away for later, for now Dumbledore was leading the Durmstrang arrivals into the castle.

"Finally." Blaise muttered as the students were allowed to enter their own school. "I'm bloody frozen."

* * *

A/N: A little warning, while I don't expect it to effect this fic too much I have in fact just gotten a job(as a waitress thank you). So while, as I said, I don't think it'll mess up this fic it may force me to delay a week with an update or some such nonsense. If that happens you'll get warningalong with my deepest apologies.

Other than that, yes I know this chapter wasn't really exciting or important I couldn't just skip over the arrivals of the schools. This and the next two chapters will cover the Arrivals and the champion choosing but after that( number 25...I think) will be the notorious Hogsmeade weekend involving Mody's house. So just hold on a little longer...and review.


	23. Equals Not Three

A/N: Okay Draco's gonna be a moron...in a good way...kinda, and, okay there's nothign to say about this. Only I'll be posting the next chapter on Thursday so we can get to the good part.

* * *

As they entered the Great Hall Alex sighed and rolled her eyes at the stupid antics of her fellow schoolmates. Who was this ugly, creepy-looking boy?

"Ha," she said smugly as they made their way over to their table, "half of your chances have flown away."

"What?" Blaise asked, glancing at her like she had lost her mind.

"Not _you_." She scoffed.

"So?" Draco said, glancing at the Beauxbatons students, all huddled together at the Ravenclaw table, for warmth apparently, with complete unconcern. "I didn't expect _them_ to try and join us."

The group, which had expanded to include Pansy and Milli, both of whom looked ready to take Professor Snape's words to heart, found seats at the end of the rest of the Slytherins. The Durmstrang students were still gathering around the door, apparently unsure about where they should sit.

The boys leaned in together, as if having a conference. One of them gestured towards the empty space at the end of the Hufflepuff table but then Draco reached out and pinched Alex's butt.

She whirled and shrieked, "_MALFOY_!"

He started laughing. "You've just won my bet for me, Alex."

And sure enough the conference had ended and the Durmstrang students were finding seats next to the Slytherins.

"Now had over my money." A pale hand appeared in her still red-tinted vision and Alex growled, completely turning her back to the newcomers as she glared at Draco. He exchanged a smug grin with Crabbe and Goyle while she counted the money into his hand.

"You're going to pay for that, Malfoy." She bit out.

"_You're_ Draco Malfoy?" one of the newcomers interrupted.

While only the heads of his group actually turned to look down at the Durmstrang boys, Alex knew most of the table was listening in on this conversation.

"I am." Draco said coldly.

"It's an honor to meet you." The boy continued, interest, awe and greed threading through his voice. "Isn't it, Viktor?" he leaned over the table towards the boy that everyone else seemed to know.

"I think perhaps, it is a toss up which is more of an honor, to be graced with the presence of a Malfoy or that of a Bellmonte." The supposedly famous, (but still ugly!), boy turned to Alex with a slight smile.

She met his gaze coldly, only polite disinterest lurking there. "You obviously know who I am, as most do, but I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea who you are or why I should allow you to sit at my table much less speak to me."

Every Durmstrang students gasped, as did some of the Slytherins. From behind her Alex felt Draco's amusement and approval.

"My apologies, Lady." He bowed over the table to her. "I am Viktor Krum."

"Why do you say your name like the mere mention of it should clear up everything?" Alex asked, a little less harshly due to his wonderful manners.

Now some of Viktor's fellow students were smirking, as if it pleased them to see him so spoken to. They began to shed their cloaks and settle in.

"I…" Viktor looked at a loss for words. "I am a Seeker, in professional Quidditch, Lady Bellmonte. Do you not follow the sport?"

"I'm afraid it holds little interest for me." Alex placed the name now, but she wasn't about to back down. "After all, to excel requires no practical skills that can be used outside of the sport, and the sport itself would not exist if everyone from my own class on down did not start acting like blind sheep whenever the subject is mentioned. Do you, perhaps, have anything else to recommend you?"

"I am afraid I do not." Viktor said sorrowfully, as if this was a great failing of his. "I will endeavor to redeem myself to you."

"You may do as you wish, but I am not easily swayed, I promise you."

"I believe I can vouch for that." Draco said. "For I managed to give insult to her early last summer and I have yet to even earn the right to beg for my forgiveness."

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed.

"Idiots." Blaise muttered. "Just because someone else has manners you don't…"

The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly, guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have the great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.

"Well, I'd certainly call _that_ worthy of 'insult for insult'." Pansy whispered maliciously.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all the eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down and Karkaroff leaned forward at once and to engage him in conversation.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than usual.

"Now, _this_, is more like it." Milli said with satisfaction in her voice as her gaze swept the food options.

Alex nodded. "Almost as sophisticated as home. Pass the bouillabaisse, please, Pansy."

It was as their eyes met over the heavy bowl that Pansy seemed to remember that she didn't like Alex. Alex just sent her a look that dared her to do something about it but Pansy, being a true Slytherin, refused to stoop so low as to dump the soup into Alex's lap, so the meal passed uneventfully.

Viktor seemed to think himself unworthy of speaking with her and the rest of his schoolmates didn't seem to have the courage to try their luck.

In fact, the only interesting things that happened all night were the arrivals of Ludo Bagman who sat on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime.

When the food had all been consumed and the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again.

"The moment has come," he said, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those of you who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" – there was a smattering of polite applause – "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likeable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," the Headmaster continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts. The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students. Alex was affected by it despite herself. She exchanged animated glances with Blaise.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

By now the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue white flames.

He closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to the temptation," added the serious wizard, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"An Age Line. An interesting way to enforce the rules." Draco commented absently, rising to his feet. "I wonder how many idiots are going to try and fool it."

"Oh I think at least two…from each House but Slytherin." Milli pointed across the room at a pair of matching red heads. "I think I spy the Gryffindor pair right now."

"I think you may be right, Mil. Care to wager again, Malfoy?" Alex grinned and they began to make their way towards Common Room. "I bet you one hundred galleons that someone underage will make it across the line."

"Planning on doing it yourself?" Draco asked, giving her a strange look.

"Not a chance. I'll be way too busy to do whatever little 'challenges' they think up."

"I accept your bet then, Bellmonte." Draco paused then smirked. "You do realize that the only way you can win is if the under-aged person actually makes it as champion?"

"Well, we could do it that way, or I could just set up a quick recording spell that'll tell me who steps over the age line. In fact, if you'll excuse me I need to hurry if I'm going to get that finished before anyone tries to put their names in the thing."

* * *

A/N: Okay so I know a LOT of that was stuff you should already know, all that talking about the champions and the goblet…blah blah blah. It ain't my fault!

In fact, here. Something to keep you amused so you won't yell at me.

**The scene opens with a well dressed man, apparently a reporter or some kind of professional…something, sitting with the Authoress in the empty Great Hall.**

"So, what you're saying is that this girl," he consulted his notes, "Alex Bellmonte, has an abusive relationship with her parents, loathes anyone who is in the other three Houses in the school, detests anyone in her own House who is of a lower class than her _and_ hates anyone who is from a different school from her?"

The authoress nodded. "Exactly. Though 'lower class' is a relative term."

"Perhaps, but my point is…from where does this girl find her friends? You have her hating everybody."

"And _when_," a cold voice asked, "did we decide that I required friends?"

"Hey, Lex." RaineArilan grinned. "We were just talking about you."

"So I gathered." She swept her gaze over the reporter.

"Everyone needs friends." He said firmly.

RaineArilan grinned again. "You _are_ brave, my good sir. Very brave."

"Brave?" he looked confused. "how so?"

"Oh I believe, that she thinks you acted bravely by saying what you just said to me…I think it was more ignorance than anything else." Alex grinned ferally. Her deadly furious eyes watching the man's every move. "You really shouldn't disagree with me you know."

"Oh come _on_, Alex! Don't kill him." The Authoress put in. "if he dies I won't get any publicity and without that I won't get any reviews. If I don't get reviews I won't keep writing the story…"

"Oh really?" Alex raised an eyebrow at the Authoress. "You won't?"

"Eeep. Ne'er mind. Carry on." Turning she mouthed, "Sorry" to the reporter before vanishing from the room.

"You know," Alex said all casual conversation as she moved closer to the man. "That's what I like about her. She knows when to save her own skin."


	24. But Four?

The fire in the Goblet had just turned red for a fourth, an impossible fourth, time. A long flame shot into the air, lifting a smoking piece of parchment with it. With a dazed, almost automatic, gesture Dumbledore caught and opened it. He spoke only two words. One name in all.

Harry

Potter

And then chaos of the most restrained sort.

* * *

The silence was so profound Draco wondered if he dare breathe. Everyone in the hall, from Severus Snape right down to the smallest Hufflepuff first year, seemed to be under the same impression; staring about and trying to remember to blink in the right places. But all in all the look on Potter's face was the worst.

He looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of icy water over his head while stabbing him in the back. There were times, and this was one of them, that Draco felt sorry for the other boy. After all, he was always in the limelight and, from what Draco knew of his past, he had no training in how to handle that. Of course, it was all his own fault, this time at least. Why would he put his name in the Goblet if he didn't want to be Champion?

"Harry Potter." The same name, this time spoken in command. "Harry. Up here please."

The Gryffindor, moving as if he were dead and just hadn't figured it out yet, walked….limped…._moved_ to stand shakily before the Headmaster.

"Well…through the door, Harry." It was spoken kindly, but not happily.

As the door thudded shut behind the Boy-Who-Lived Alex cackled.

Really. She did. There was no other word for it. It was too evil to be a laugh and too loud to be a chuckle. Draco looked over at her in disbelief and she just grinned.

"Completely unrepentant," he muttered.

"What _her_?" Blaise nodded at Alex. "Of course she is."

"But..." Draco said pitifully, glancing up at her and widening his eyes sadly, "but that's all the money I have! How am I to feed my mother if you take it all from me? We have only a small apartment over a bath house, and all that dirty mist...HEY!" he ducked as Alex, Blaise and even his own cronies proceeded to pelt him with their broccoli. "You don't understand!" Oh he was a Malfoy. He couldn't resist playing it up to a crowd. "She's ill...the-the...lung...sickness...I can't afford a medi-witch and she's sure to die in terrible agony if I do not steal from a rich and powerful Lord who will surely kill me if he catches me...How can you be so heartless!"

The three boys let loose with pained groans as Alex muttered, "Shut up. Just shut up." into her hands.

"Why should I do that? The vegetable population in my vicinity has gone up considerably thanks to my little-"

"Are you planning on paying me, Draco?" Alex cut him off, not wanting another…little act.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Do you really think I keep one hundred galleons _on me_?"

"I do." She answered instantly, "and I'd keep twice that on me if I was in danger of having to pay off a bet."

Blaise laughed. "So he's not as perfect as you…who is?"

"Did you honestly think I expected Potter to somehow trick the cup into naming him the _forth_ Champion? I have your money, Alex, just not on me. I'll pay up later."

"Fine." Alex grinned. "You _do_ know what this means don't you, Draco Malfoy?"

"Means?" he glanced warily at the smile she was offering, it wasn't entirely pleasant.

"We're both of Pure-blood…" Alex said, trying to give him a hint. "You owe me a debt I've called in…"

"Oh no," Greg muttered and Blaise groaned.

"You're not gonna make him do it, Alex!"

"How can I affect the outcome here Blaise? It's not something I have control over you know. If he can't pay the debt when I asked for it-"

"Damn…" Draco groaned, cutting her off, "Debt of Honor?"

"You got it."

"You're going to make me pay through the nose for this one aren't you?"

Alex grinned evilly but then her expression soften a little. "I should, I really should, after what you pulled last night you bloody lech…I don't know though. I don't want you around me that much so you'll probably get off easier than you deserve."

"I…" Draco wrinkled his nose. "I think I'm both relieved and insulted."

"Sure you are."

"Don't you find it even slightly amazing that one of the most powerful witches in our year, having placed a great deal of money on the outcome, surprisingly gets to watch as a young boy who, for all his fame, isn't all that bright, succeed where even the genius of the Terrible Twins has failed?" Blaise pontificated solemnly.

Alex looked over at him in surprise. "You're saying you think _I_ put Potter's name in the Goblet?"

"You do have the know how to beat something like an age-line." Draco put in, looking thoughtful.

Instead of growing insulted Alex just smiled, pleased. "That's quite the compliment. I thank you for it but, unfortunately," and she did indeed look sad at the thought, "I did not cross the Line. Nor did I show Potter how to."

"Of course, Alex." Greg said agreeably. "we believe you."

"You jerks," she shot back lazily. "There's a simple way to prove my innocence."

Draco dabbed his mouth to cover a faux-bored yawn. "Which is?"

"Meet me back in Common Room boys. This'll only take a minute." She stood abruptly and headed off.

* * *

"There. Plain and simple. I approached the line on two occasions but never crossed it." The glittering silver ink that scrawled across the long roll of parchment appeared several times on it's length, but only twice with her name. Once at the very top of the list of names and once at the very bottom.

"Gold means they crossed it. So I know who succeeded and those who only tried. Look for yourself."

Obligingly the four boys leaned over the table, reading.

"Well, there's all the Frenchies." Blaise pointed at a long section of gold. "I'm not even going to try and pronounce some of those."

"Try these," Greg suggested, gesturing to the equally long gold that spelled out the Durmstrang entries.

"Thank you, but no."

"This is interesting." Draco said suddenly.

"What is?" Alex leaned in so close to the page her breath ruffled it.

"You have all of the Professors patrolling," Draco pointed out each name, "Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Snape again, Flitwick," he snorted, "and _Trelawny_…but Moody's name doesn't show up on here once. You'd think him being the paranoid type he'd camp out near the thing to guard it."

"You're right. Strange."

"Here's what's even weirder." Vince said it seriously, drawing all eyes to him, "Harry Potter's name isn't even on here."

"What!" several voices asked together.

"I checked. He never even approaches the Goblet."

"Merlin." Blaise muttered. "I guess someone really _did_ put his name in for him."

Alex's gaze viciously swept the parchment.

"Who would've done it?" Draco asked, "Or could he have cast a spell to convince the Line he was someone else? Someone older?"

"No…I mean, he could have, and it might have tricked the Line if he'd done it right, but not this list. It writes down the True Name of the person. That's why mine says Alexandria Bellmonte. That is who I think of myself as, not Alexandria etc etc etc more-middle-names etc Bellmonte."

Greg nodded. "Ludo Bagman I can see doing it, he seems to have something of a soft spot for Boy Wonder, but his name isn't on here either."

"Who else then?" Draco mused. "All of the other adults are too much sticklers for the rules to help him pull this off…"

"The other official, umm…" Blaise trailed a finger down the list, "Barty Crouch. He's on here twice. He doesn't look like the type to patrol though. In fact he didn't sleep over at the castle did he?"

"Yeah he did. He left by Floo from the Great Hall late after the feast but he was back within the hour."

"My question still stands." Draco frowned over the names. "Who else then?"

"Hmm-"

"Enough." Alex sighed and stood back up.

"What?" Blaise looked at her like she'd lost it.

She shrugged. "It's good to have the information, but it isn't our problem."

"Weeeell…"

"We have our own _problems_ to worry about."

"She's right." Something dark flashed across Draco's face as he spoke. "We only have until next Saturday."

Blaise pulled himself up and briskly rolled up the list. Handing it back to Alex he said soberly, "Don't lose that. We might need it."

"Agreed. Now, back to the business at hand. Did anyone come up with anything particularly strange in your ward research today?"

Vince raised a hand. "I did."

* * *

A/N: There you go. Now we've covered all the necessary-but-still-somewhat-boring GoF stuff. Next chapter, to be Posted on Monday as usual, will kick off the amazing adventures of Draco, Alex and Moody's house.

Tania, Pansy, Vince, Greg, Wormtail, Voldie and Snape all show up to make things interesting...but not all at once.

The next three or four chapters will be dedicated to this little sub-plot but I'll try not to drag it out too badly.

See ya Monday.

Oh yeah, I will explain Debt of Honor a little more later...once I finish making it up myself. :grin:


	25. Here We Go

Severus glanced up from the parchment he was reading, did a double take, and glared.

"I believe I stated, in no uncertain terms, that I was _not_ going to do this."

From across the room one eyebrow was raised meaningfully.

Drawling the words, as if bored out of his mind, Severus began to speak."It would seem that there has been some kind of misunderstanding, for which the Authoress humbly begs forgiveness. While I so _adore_ these little...adventures proposed with ever increaing frequency, I am a very busy man-"

"Severus!" the Authoress snapped, "keep to the script," she tapped the top of the teleprompter box imperiously, "that's why I wrote it for you."

If looks could kill...well, let's just all be glad the Authoress is imortall.

"Whilst I..." he inserted a pause of profound disgust, "Severus Snape _will_ appear in this sub-plot saga it will not occur in either this or the next chapter. However, I can assure youthat I will make a-" here he froze and graced the Authoress with a look declaring her misinformed and quite insane.

"Severus," she said, a mix of annoyance nad deadly threat in her voice, "kindly remember who controls your choice of footwear."

If anything even greater disbelief filled the already incredulous eyes. "Excuse me?"

And if the Authoress had been a timid person...well, I believe you can picture it. Instead she tapped the box again. "Hopw imposing would you look in fluffy pink bunny slippers?"

Clearing his throat, Severus manfully continued, "However, I can assure you that I will make an appearance fit to be drooled over no later than chapter 29. Also, to redeem herself, the Authoress offers up this never before spoken tid bit. She is currently workign madly to get a good portion of a new fanfic finished. It is, at this moment titled "Bellmonte Slush" and is, basically an Alternate Reality of this fic in which Draco is less than he appears and I am the only refuge for a much besought Alex. Eventually, it will all culminate with a...are you out of your mind!"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"_Me_ and _Miss Bellmonte_!"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

* * *

A/N: As you may or may not have figured out, "Slush" is a Snape/Alex fic. I have the first 5 or so chapters finished, mainly because they don't differ greatly from the first chapters of this fic. I probably won't be posting it on here, at least not for the time being but if you really want to read it(and are willing to wait for a long time between updates) then you can Review or email me with your email address and I'll send you some of it as I write it.

* * *

Blaise stretched slowly as his gaze swept the flow of people heading outside, heading for Hogsmeade. Now was the time. This _had_ to go right! Finally a small dark head came into view and Blaise was glad he'd decided to look for her rather than just wait for her to show up.

Tania was heading towards Common Room.

Sighing indulgently he set out across the room on an intercept course. As he stepped into her path she froze. Her gaze settled somewhere in the center of his chest and she didn't speak.

"Ready to go?" Blaise asked cheerfully, as if he hadn't just caught her trying to ditch him.

She shifted from foot to foot for a second, almost as if she was trying to figure out if running away was a viable escape plan. "Sure," Tania said quietly.

"Good. Cloak!" Naturally he was already wearing one, but Tania wasn't, so a warm black cloak popped into existence. It was just like a thousand other purely functional cloaks but Blaise knew this one to belong to Alex. Tania would never tell the difference but it would help the ruse…if only a tiny bit.

She reached out a hand to take it and with a smoothly practiced motion Blaise helped her into it. Again Tania froze. Blaise frowned inwardly, had no one ever helped her put on her cloak before? Or was it something else? He gave a mental shrug and moved on. Bowing slightly he offered her his arm. After a long minute she laid hesitant fingers on his wrist and he led the way out to the chill wintry day.

From over her head he saw Greg and Vince. Blaise tossed them a sober nod. They returned it before moving into their assigned places.

_Here we go_.

* * *

"Here we go."

Alex tucked her scarf closer to her throat and pulled up her hood. Draco glanced dryly at her, scoffing at her melodrama. She shrugged and stepped down the stairs. They were leaving out the supply door for, what had originally been, a second set of kitchens back at the beginning of the school's illustrious career and these simple, slightly neglected, brick steps were of a different breed than those that grandly welcomed guests and residents alike.

"Mmph," Alex heard Draco grunt behind her and turned to see him copying her motions. He met her gaze then looked past her, squinting in the wind.

"I cannot believe I'm up this early," Draco grumbled.

Alex rolled her eyes, glad for something to take her mind off what they were doing. "Hey, I let you talk me into waiting 'til two hours after dawn."

"I should've held out for three."

"We have to get out of sight of the castle, not to mention out from under the magical field the thing produces. That's maybe an hour of walking…unless you want to fly in _that_." she gestured to the frozen mass of cloud cover.

"Point taken."

It was cold, even for the first weekend of November, and the wind had a bite to it. Though no snow covered the ground, the slate grey clouds held a promise of it and the frost was so thick that the grass crunched underfoot.

"So…" Alex spoke into the lengthening silence after she felt the weight of it pulling at her self-enforced good mood. "what if we come across a Mig-"

"Bellmonte!" Draco shouted, grey eyes flashing with silver. "we have gone over every conceivable spell, potion and trap a dozen times! Now shut up!"

She increased her pace and glared at him. _That…that…**cretin**! We have NOT covered everything! What about…………um……Damn! He's right! Note to self: Don't tell him that!_

"Re-_lax_." Draco growled.

Alex scowled over at him.

"If you'll just _calm down_ and _try_ to work with me so we can _maybe_ get out of this in one piece then you can yell, curse and hex me into oblivion when we get back."

For a minute she appeared to be considering a violent response but something, something Draco doubted he'd understand even if she explained it to him, pulled her up short. She just sighed and continued the chilly trudging.

"Good."

The silence that fell ate up minutes, stretching into something that was both comfortable and tense as the castle began to fall out of sight.

"Stop."

Draco pulled to a halt, both mentally and physically. Alex stopped in front of him and briefly met his eyes before scanning the tree line.

"I don't want to trust you," she stated flatly.

Draco felt a surge of annoyance. They were in the middle of a dangerous mission and she wanted to discuss their relationship! "Well, then we have common ground."

She dropped her gaze back to his face, frowning. "Draco…" her exasperation faded away after the one word, "I don't _want_ to, but I will…I do."

He blinked, knowing his surprise was all over his face. "Wha-why?"

Alex snorted. "Do I have a choice?"

When he didn't respond she shifted uneasily and pulled out a heavy gold coin. "Let's…get going. We passed out from under the magical field a few minutes ago."

Draco nodded and stepped closer to her. Her hand shot out and took his. There was a sharp yank, then the rushing stopped and his heels slammed into the earth. He stumbled a bit and the warm pull on his left hand kept him upright.

"So…" she said almost inaudibly. Draco looked down at the slim fingers threaded through his and it suddenly occurred to him that hew wasn't the only one who was afraid.

Trying to find a way to get them both back on track, or at least the next step so they could get the mission over with as soon as possible, Draco scanned their target.

It was a small, almost tiny, house seated in the middle of a truly tiny yard so neglected it appeared to have never held grass or any other plant on it's surface. The only break in the flat stretch of brownish grey were the blasted scraps of metal and trash that appeared to have been, at one time, dustbins and their contents.

Walking over to the corner of the house where it had all been piled by the wind, and necessarily pulling along Alex who still refused to let go of his hand…not that he altogether minded…Draco knelt lightly next to the heap.

"A simple blasting spell?" he suggested, holding up one of the twisted metal fragments for her observation.

Alex leaned closer. "It certainly looks like it…not that I've tried one on a Muggle style dustbin." A thought seemed to come over her and she chuckled.

"Something amusing?" he queried with his own dry amusement.

Alex flashed him a grin. "Ask Tania Dethart about Moody's dustbins. I'm sure she'd be happy to explain."

"Sure. I'll do that." Draco shrugged and dropped the piece of metal. Standing he dusted his hand off on his robes. "Now…back door?"

Turning Alex looked over the barren yard. "Yeah. There's nothing to find out here and I bet there's as many protections on the front as the back."

"My thoughts exactly."

Neither teen made a move. Finally, gritting his teeth and squeezing Alex's hand tight enough to hear bones creak Draco stepped up to the unassuming back door. The chipped black paint suddenly loomed high above them, but only in a mental, not magical, way. Swallowing and, after a reassuring hand squeeze from Alex, Draco pulled out his wand and tapped lightly on the door.

Instantly his detection spell informed him of the terrible _wrongness_. Not that there were wards on the door, the detection spell _liked_ whole spells. No there _had been_ spells on this door. Wards which had been horribly mangled, blasted apart.

"What?" Alex asked, worried. "What's wrong, Draco?"

"I…" he frowned. "The wards, we don't have to worry about them. Someone has been here first. They're in shambles."

"Really?" Releasing his hand so she could draw her wand Alex cast her own detection on the door. "Whoever did this," she said at last, "did it a long time ago. Two months at the very least, probably longer. That was before he came to Hogwarts."

"Agreed." Draco said quietly. "Well, that's one problem down."

Before she could stop him Draco reached out and grabbed the door handle, pushing it open. The icy daylight spilled into the dark kitchen. He bowed with a flourish.

"Lady's first."

* * *

A/N: La la la. All finished. Terrible aren't I?

Well, if I get ten(count em 10) reviews before Friday I'll post the next chapter early. If not you'll get it next Monday like always.

TTFN


	26. What you don't plan for

A/N: First off I majorly apologize. Between work and some other crap(including me being slightly forgetful and lazy) I didn't even realize I vwas late with my update until now. So sorry! The nexttime that happens somebody please review or email me to let me know. I always have my updates ready in advance...I just forget to post them.

Second, there is a little Plot in this chapter. And yes the Plot timeline is a little (just a little) messed up as what is happening now happens right after the bit back in chapter...20?...with the Blaise backstory. It doesn't really matter, just keep that in mind please.

* * *

"An-and th-that's what happened m-m'Lord." Wormtail stuttered fearfully.

"So, you've failed." Voldemort hissed quietly, almost gently. Wormtail shuddered. "What do you intend to do about it?"

"I-I th-thought to g-go back tonight. His wards lead me to believe he lives above his store, Master. It could only be in such a place where he would hide the books we search for."

For the first time since Wormtail had reentered his service Voldemort smiled. It was a cruel twisted thing more akin to anguish than joy, but it was a smile nonetheless. Wormtail felt the light go out of the world and wondered, not for the first time, if his Master was kin to the Dementors.

"A thought worthy of being called such has just come from you, Wormtail. I applaud your continued evolution towards sentience."

"Th-thank you milord." _I think._

"So, tonight we will go pay this _Jackle_ a visit." In his strange half-body Voldemort appeared to be stretching. "Perhaps the exercise will do me good."

"Yes, milord."

* * *

"Of course." Alex muttered to herself, taking the first terrifying step into the darkened room. Once she was safely in Draco moved in behind her, shutting the door with a hard _Thunk_.

Though dim light filtered in from the tiny window to their right it was far less than enough for them to see by. Alex felt a motion behind her and turned, just in time to see Draco point his wand at her.

"_Lumos complexo_."

Instead of the blinding light she'd expected a steady, sunlight type brilliance filled the entire house.

"Well," Alex tried to joke, "aren't you useful to have around."

"So I've been told." Between them they eyed the room.

It was a rectangle, with the back door situated about a quarter of the way along one of the long sides. To their left sat a worn wooden table, capable of seating six at a crunch. Only one chair sat next to it, and a bench ran along the wall behind. To their right ran waist high counters and the one window. Practically every other inch was covered with cabinets.

"I'll start left," Alex volunteered.

Draco shrugged. "Alright with me."

Stepping closer to the much marked wooden surface, and resolutely ignoring the _bad_ pun, Alex scanned the scars and stains first. Nothing appeared to be a spell matrix in any of the languages or codes she knew so she took a chance and ran her fingers over the wood.

As she'd expected, nothing happened. It was just a table. And, after a few seconds she could confidently say that the chair was only a chair and the bench likewise harmless. Kneeling down to make sure there weren't any cabinets or anything stored under the bench Alex got a look at the bottom of the table.

"Weird," she muttered, crawling in further.

"What is?" she heard Draco ask, his voice muffled by the cabinet he had his head in.

"There's a scorch mark on the _bottom_ of the table top. Looks like a blasting spell….or…no, maybe a Disarming charm."

"Hmph." Draco pulled himself back out of the cabinet. "Nothing. Well," he glanced over at Alex before moving on. All he could see of her were her shoes and socks, her legs, sticking out from under the kitchen table, the crawling having pulled up her robes. A smirk graced his features. "you know Moody. He probably thought the table was an intruder when he came down for a midnight snack."

"Hmm…..maybe. Or someone _could_ have actually broken in. The person who shattered the door wards?" Alex scooted back out blinking slightly and shaking dust out of her hair.

Draco hurriedly wiped the smirk from his face and turned his back on her before she looked over at him. "Possible. Makes some sense. But then who set it back up like normal?"

"Umm, Moody himself? If it was a long time ago." With a rustle of robes Alex started searching the other cabinets; a light tapping told him she was doing Detection on every one before opening it. Draco rolled his eyes. So far there had been exactly nothing in all five cabinets he'd looked into. And certainly no spells.

Wondering if this was going to be a really long and boring day, Draco fought a yawn before pulling open Number Eight. Something like a cold wind rushed around his hand and up his arm as he reached into it's depths.

An ache settled into his brain, his bones….and time ended for one Draco Malfoy.

* * *

"Boys!" a slightly shrill female voice called. Greg and Vince, by previous mutual agreement ignored it.

"Crabbe! Goyle!"

Still the hulking figures lumbered on down the hallway, appearing not to recognize their own names.

"Oh for the love of…Wait!" Putting on a burst of speed Pansy caught up with the two boys and grabbed an arm of each. They actually dragged her a few steps before they "realized" she was there and stopped walking.

Looking down at the smaller(though in reality most people were 'smaller') girl Greg blinked slowly and Vince just stared.

"Didn't you hear me?" Pansy demanded, releasing their sleeves.

After a long silence Vince replied, "No."

Pansy sighed and looked at them both with something like compassion…well at least with less annoyance. "Well, that's alright. I just wanted to know where Draco was."

Greg frowned. "Why?"

"He wasn't in the group heading for Hogsmeade so I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well."

Inwardly Vince winced. Well _duh_ people were going to worry if the Draco didn't show his face at Hogsmeade. They should have put together a cover story or something so people wouldn't dwell on him so much. Well…he heaved a sigh, at least between them he and Greg could divert some of the suspicion.

Then inspiration hit.

"Yeah." Vince said mournfully. "He's not feeling too good. He's in bed."

Greg shot him a glance but played along, nodding his agreement.

"Oh! Poor thing. You men are all absolute babies when you get sick. Do you think he'd be up to a visitor?"

_Bad! Uh oh! Red Alert! Run Away!_ Vince licked his lips, trying to come up with an excuse…

"No." Greg supplied. "Madam Pomfrey said it'll be really contagious for the next six hours, 'til the potions all kick in. _We_ aren't even allowed in our own dorm."

Pansy shrugged. "Oh well. I'll pass the word. Make sure people leave him alone. It wouldn't do for the whole House to get sick."

They both nodded at her.

"Tell Draco, when you see him, that he's to come to us if he needs anything to help his recovery. The collection of cures in the Girl's Dorm is rather impressive."

"Will do." Vince said courteously.

"Gotta run. Stay out of trouble." With a brisk wave Pansy headed off the way she'd come.

* * *

A/N: complexo: latin for "emcompass"

A/N...again: Yeah Pansy's a little OOC for the way I was playing her, yes? Well, no, not really. See all we've seen is her trying to well, pick things up where they left off last year. But things have changed and, like all good Slytherins she's adapting.

It's not like she's _evil_. She'd just not part of the group yet….oh bugger did I say "yet"? Good grief! The next I'll be doing is spilling the beans about the Poker Night.

:Innocent look:

Review.


	27. AYA

A/N: Lalalala.

Stuff.

Anyway, I'm in a funky mood. See waaaaay back in March I took the SAT and today the scores got pre-posted online. Which means I FINALLY know how I did! Woot! Math610, Critical Reading700, The other English section700 and BEST OF ALL, out of 12 points I could possibly get for my Essay I got, brace yourselves...TWELVE POINTS! Woo Hoo! I am not officially and legally smart!

Dance with me!

* * *

A spell, quiet and unassuming, echoed back to her across the slowly vibrating wand. It was a first, at least for this venture, and Alex had to pause a moment before she could catalog it. It wasn't a spell she specifically knew, but there were parts of it she recognized.

As confident as she was that she could solve the problem without him(and without scorching her eyebrows off) Alex turned around to where Draco should have been.

He wasn't there.

Throwing herself to her feet she spun 'til she spotted him. He was exactly where she'd left him fifteen minutes ago, reaching into his eighth cabinet, a thin strand of hair falling into his eyes.

And now, fifteen minutes later that strand had yet to complete it's surrender to gravity. A cold chasm opening in the pit of her stomach Alex crossed the distance between them.

"Draco?" making sure not to touch him she waved a hand in front of his eyes. No response. "Damn."

Her eyes falling half shut Alex recast, for the thirteenth time today, the detection spell. It arced slowly, invisibly, across the inches separating them. Gentle, lighting-like fingers twisted themselves into the shape of the spell and…vanished.

"Wh-what?"

Feeling her fears all come crashing in on her head Alex sank to the floor beside the unmoving body of her only ally. Pulling her knees up to her chin, she frantically chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Okay, okay girl. _Think_. He's not gone. He's just….I don't know what he is. But whatever has him can dispel my Detection…" she frowned and shivered. "…no. No wait! That's not right! It's still there. You fool! You know what a broken spell feels like! It's still there it's just been…" her eyes flew open and she knew she had it. "_stopped_!"

Lurching to her feet she conjured a handful of dust. With a hopeful grin she tossed it into the air above Draco.

It twisted and swirled, falling until it got within half an inch of him. There it did as his hair was. It stopped in mid-air. Blowing at it didn't effect it.

"Okay! Okay. Draco's been stopped. Umm…" Alex paced a half circle around him, twirling her wand between her fingers. "Umm…so…the…the time has been constrained within about half an inch around him. It's probably a surface following thing…

"Well, the one good thing about all of this is that time does not _like_ to be confined in any way. It'll help the process along if I give it a place to start. Oh Merlin, Malfoy. Learn not stick you hand into small dark places!"

Bracing her feet and pointing her wand at the back of his head Alex muttered, "Might as well try the basics. _Finite Inca-_" she cut herself off mid-word. "Damn! What if, by ending the spell, I end time for Draco?"

Feeling a migraine coming on she sank back to the floor to think.

* * *

_Don't be doing something stupid, Lex._ Blaise's attention was pulled from his own, dark, worries, by the tiny, almost unnoticed, shiver of his companion.

"Are you cold?" he asked Tania kindly, smiling at her.

She nodded yes but said quietly, "N-no, I'm fine."

Knowing that once some of his worry was freed up from Alex he'd be _very_ concerned about the small girl next to him, Blaise decided that what she said was entirely what she wanted him to hear and that her stuttering wasn't from fear but cold. Lightly, slowly, and _very_ gently he slid an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go get warm. We're both frozen in out steps _and_ I, at least, am starving."

* * *

"No. Okay then, fine." The spot inside her cheek that she'd been chewing on had begun to bleed sometime during the last half hour. Three spells and no effect later Alex was getting a little desperate. And what does a Bellmonte do when desperate?

Sticking her thumb into her mouth it came out covered in her blood. "_GET A MOVE ON MALFOY_!" she yelled jamming her thumb onto the middle of his forehead.

It wasn't until after her skin made contact with his, after he blinked at her in confusion and after he said, "Bellmonte, if you're going for a Wet Willie then you missed," that she realized she'd done it.

And so, of course, she started yelling at him.

"Are you _out_ of your _mind_! What were you _thinking_ sticking your hand into an unchecked cabinet! Do you know what you did! You _STOPPED_ bloody _TIME_!"

Draco blinked slowly. "I…what?"

"45 minutes! Almost an hour you were in that same position! I've been working on getting you free for a half hour!"

"Damn." Understanding and concern flashed over his face as he absently wiped his forehead. The bloody he pulled away with his fingers brought some of the confusion back. "Blood, Alex? _Blood_!"

"I came up with twenty seven spells that might break the spell. Only three were safe to try. None of them worked."

"Why only three?"

"All the rest…well, I wasn't about to do something with even a _chance_ of messing up, or ending, time for you forever. Anyway, I was a little desperate. But…" she tilted her head and looked thoughtful…completely missing the touched, slightly surprised, look that covered Draco's face at her words.

"What?" he prompted after a minute.

"I sent a Detection Spell at you first. It got caught in your time, but, since your time is the same as mine again, it finally 'reported back' I guess. I know mostly how the spell works, and definitely how my counter spell works."

"Good. But I promise you I won't be doing _that_ again."

"I should hope not. Now, come over here and help me with this spell I found. We've wasted enough time already. I want to get this _done_."

* * *

"Is that better?" Blaise began to feel as if he was running a monologue while pulling teeth…or something like that. He never was one to remember Muggle phrases correctly.

Tania slid silently into the seat he pulled out for her, and nodded…._silently_. Not removing his own cloak, after all they were seated next to the window and the door(which was nearly always open as someone entered or left) he was glad when Tania decided to do the same.

"So, do you have anything in particular you wanted to try?" he asked, picking up and browsing his menu. "Everything here is good, I can vouch as I've eaten it all at least once."

He thought he saw a glimmer of interest from a pair of dark eyes that only appeared briefly above _her_ menu. It was enough of an invitation. "Oh yeah. First off, the Dragon Steak. It isn't real dragon. I know. I've _had_ real dragon. It _is_ a really good try though, so if you aren't sure you want to try actual dragon it's a good place to start. The 'House Sauce' _is_ a little spicy, but you can always ask for regular barbeque if you want it a little milder."

"Spicy is fine." It was spoken exactly like everything else she'd said, but not quite. Blaise clear heard the _"What? You think I'm not up to spicy?"_ that ran through it. He grinned. Sometimes he forgot this girl was a Slytherin just like the rest of them.

"It's good either way. Just don't drink Butterbeer right after you take a bite. It'll cool your mouth like adding pure alcohol to a campfire will put it out." He grinned ruefully. "I know. I've tried it."

Tania snickered.

Blaise sniffed dramatically. "Yes, yes. _Do_ go on and laugh at my pain. How I enjoy it so."

The laughter that emerged from behind the menu was as startling to the giver as the hearer. "Yes, you poor boy. _So_ abused."

"Really." Blaise insisted pitifully. "I am. Will _you_ be the one to save me from this cruel world and the women in it?"

"And if I do…who will save the women from you?" Tania asked. It was quiet, without the brashness that would have infected Alex's voice were she to have made the comment, but the effect was much the same…and Blaise was beside himself for having gotten through to the girl.

"Alas!" he clutched his heart. "You have wounded my soul, but I cannot deny your claims. Come dearest! Make an honest man of me! Marry me!"

There was a long silence, and Blaise was suddenly realizing he shouldn't've said it, when Tania spoke again. The amusement was a little strained but obviously she was making the effort. "Make an honest man of yourself _then_ ask me. You might like the results better."

"Uh," retreating to safer ground Blaise said, "I recommend the Griddle Ribs. They come however you like them, with half a dozen sides _and_," he reached over and tapped a picture with one finger, "this lovely _awesome_ chocolate…dessert…thingy."

* * *

Fifteen cabinets and two spells later(Alex's first one had done what she'd expected and blasted flames all over the place and the second one had tried to wrap them both in steel ropes) they ducked briefly into the large pantry. It was large yes, but empty. There were stains, powders and sticky spots amid the glass covering the floor.

"There _was_ a fight here. I'm thinking right before he left for Hogwarts, else why wouldn't he have bought more food?"

Alex glanced at Draco as they exited the kitchen. "My thoughts exactly."

There was only one more room on the bottom floor, forcing them to officially declare this a _tiny_ house. It was a sitting/living room with a strip of tile stretching from the front door to join with the matching tile in the kitchen. Obviously the 'foyer' per say.

Two dusty, faded loveseats and a table fulfilled the 'sitting' part with a large bookcase and a matching corner cabinet holding the only interesting parts. A second door did sit next to the stairs on the left, probably the hall closet.

"Let's eliminate the harmless looking furniture and all of the foyer stuff before tackling the bookcase and cabinet." she suggested.

"Good idea." Draco agreed, glancing longingly at the cabinet.

It went much as Alex' investigation of the kitchen table had. All of the furniture was clean. Completely normal and spell-less.

"I'll get the closet, you check on the front Wards."

"Sure."

Striding up to the unassuming door Draco cast his spell. It came back. There were no spells of attack on this door. Reaching out he tugged on the handle. For a second it didn't want to move. Just as it began to he heard an annoyed, "Dragon Shite."

He looked over and dove for Alex who was, at that moment, up to her waist in what looked like the welcome mat. Behind him, barely missing his feet as he lay stretched out on the floor, the completely Muggle steel door did as designed and slammed to the floor crushing the Draco that was no longer there.

"Dragon shite," he echoed.

"Umm, Draco?" Alex said pointedly, just a hint of fear in her voice as her Slytherin crest disappeared into the floor.

"Sorry." Sitting back he pulled until he could see her waist, re-gripped with one arm wrapped around her and finished heaving her from the mat. With a final sucking sound it released her feet and they both tumbled back. Draco cracked his head on the metal door and Alex cracked her head on him.

"Ow." It was a mutual sound grumbled by both as they sat up.

"Well, aren't we the brilliant little sleuths," Alex muttered from somewhere below his chin.

Draco chuckled and realized his nose was buried in her hair. "Come on, Bellmonte. Up we go."

Once on their feet the couple levitated the door back into place and turned to the 'interesting' parts of the room.

"Bookcase!" Alex claimed just as Draco said, "Cabinet!"

They exchanged looks and grinned.

* * *

A/N: Okay I'm getting fed up. I pretty much plan on having all of the rest of the "Inside Moody's House" stuff in the next chapter.

It may be kinda long.

Snape will definitely be in the one after that as will Voldemort.

Review


	28. Ill Lies

A/N: I'm sooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyy!

But you can't blame me. The site wouldn't let me sign in last night and I had to work all day today.Anyway, this is longer than usual and I was REALLY uninspired whenI wrote it so it probably won't be that good. But it does cover a lot of ground.

Unfortunately, I'm trying, but I've suddenly hit a wall with this story. I know what happens next, sorta, but I can't write it. So, I will, hopefully have a chapter ready on time next week but I may have to start updating only every other week. In fact expect that unless told otherwise. Again sorry.

If anyone has any ideas for anything, how to un-block writers block, absolutely ANYTHING you want to see happen in the story, I would massively appreciate you reviewing or emailing me and explaining. See, one of my big inspirations is input from other people. So input...:grin:

* * *

"It figures."

"What?"

"The bookcase. It's real enough but it's spelled so that, unless I'm Moody, it does this." Alex ran her hands through the row of texts as if it were a cheap illusion. "Any suggestions, Draco?"

Only silence greeted her. "Find something?" Turning as she spoke Alex was met with a sight that was familiar. Of course this time his hair wasn't in mid-fall.

She started to laugh. It would seem that the Time-stopper spell was something of a favorite of Moody's.

* * *

_I am NOT going to feel guilty about it. I am NOT going to feel guilty about it! I am NOT!_ Blaise tried to console himself for his deception as he watched Tania enjoy her meal. Just because what he'd talked her into getting was one of Alex's favorites…

"So," he interrupted his own thoughts, "what do you think?"

They were the first words spoken since their food had come, mostly because Blaise was still the person carrying the conversation and, like all things male, had found his food more important than pointless chatter.

Unfortunately for them both Tania had just taken a slightly larger bite of meat as the words left his mouth. Fear flashed over her face and she began to chew frantically, as if she would get in trouble if she didn't answer right away.

Something, that could only be called kinship, filled Blaise. The _Need_ to answer when spoken to was something he'd had to work very hard to overcome after his parents had gone. Sometimes he still fell into the pattern but never with the emotions behind it that she was obviously feeling. It was just a habit for him.

"Stop," he ordered. "I am making conversation, rather stupidly I might add. I am more than content to sit here and blink slowly, with much concentration, whilst you finish chewing. Don't die just because I have bad timing."

Tania hesitated but, in the end, obeyed.

"I," she coughed out the word as she finished swallowing, "it's very good.

"Good. I was hoping you'd like it."

"I do." Tania hastened to assure him.

"Good," he repeated. "So, what's your favorite subject and/or Professor?"

* * *

"Oh yes. Laugh why don't you?" Draco snarled as he wiped blood from his forehead again. "I _did_ a detection spell this time. The bloody thing doesn't _show up_! In fact you just might want to show me how to break the spell in case you get caught."

"Couldn't happen." Alex answered, turning back to frown at her previous problem.

"You say that now."

"Well, is there at least something interesting in there?"

There was a muffled, frustrated sigh. "No. There are old marks on the wood, like there _was_ something stored in here, but it's gone now."

"Took it to Hogwarts with him." Alex said dismissively, poking her wand into the illusion/not-illusion bookcase.

"_Or_," Draco stressed the word to get her attention, "whoever was here, the person who blew up the dustbins and the pantry and under the table, wanted what we want…but the physical stuff not just the knowledge."

"Well, if so then they went through a _ton_ of trouble to put everything back to normal! Oh for the love of-!" she snapped in frustration. "If I could just read the bloody titles! But every time I try to focus on one it kinda fuzzes out!"

"Weeell…" Draco looked thoughtful.

"Yes?"

"No, no. Don't mind me. You're the all-powerful one."

"Draco, if you're gonna be helpful, _be helpful_! If not, shut up!"

He sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Try a Librarian List. They're good for inventories in general but books in specific."

"Now see. You can be helpful without dying."

* * *

_It seems my entire day is going to be fraught with awkwardness_. Blaise grumbled to himself as he surveyed his current difficulty. _He_ had more than enough money to cover a couple dozen meals like this on him, but it was more than obvious, to him at least, that Tania didn't. Unfortunately it was also obvious that she was going to try and pay anyway.

And so, as the check was laid down on the table he did the only thing he could think of, and hoped he'd be able to talk himself out of Tania's bad side eventually.

"Here." He slapped a handful of coins onto the table and smiled nicely at the waitress, ignoring Tania with her hand halfway into her belt pouch. "Keep the change."

"Well, thank you, sir." The girl grinned and winked at him before walking away. "Good luck and have a good day."

"Oh I think we will." Rising with his usual grace he offer Tania his arm. She took it…eventually.

Outside it had warmed up a little but after a second it got positively hot for poor Blaise.

"Why did you do that?" Tania demanded.

Blaise glanced down at his companion and winced. There were spots of red in her cheeks that screamed anger and humiliation, and a look of wounded pride(that oh so sore spot of all pure bloods) was in her furious eyes. He decided that trying it innocent was the way to go. After all he would have paid for her food even if she'd been richer than Alex. She was with him. "What did I do, Tania?"

"You…the bill…" she frowned. There didn't seem to be a good way to phrase it. Fortunately Blaise seemed to catch on. His worried look faded slightly.

"Tania, I was raised _properly_. Meaning I have good manners. When I am out with a lady it is my job, my duty, to take care of her, in every way. That includes paying for things. I didn't mean to insult you. And," he let out a soft breath, "I am very sorry if I hurt you by my actions. If I have please tell me, that I may begin to make my amends."

Tania shrugged, brushing the issue aside, "I-it's fine."

"No, it's not. If I hurt you then I owe you far more than a simple apology."

"You owe me nothing," she said quickly.

"Yes. I. Do." He replied, matching her tone. "I owe you my respect. I owe you courtesy. I owe you protection. I owe you my care. I owe you an experience free of worry and concern. I owe you a time where you needn't fear insult or injury of any kind. And as of right now I owe you an apology that goes beyond mere words because I have failed you." He was breathing a little hard when he finished and Tania had the sudden image of him kissing his sword before an altar as he proclaimed those self-same words.

"I think, perhaps, I've just heard a reiteration of your Code." She said, with a weak smile, unable to think of any other response. The moment was getting very thick and she wondered that the air was still breathable.

Blaise grimaced comically. "What I wouldn't give for Alex to show up for two minutes. Just long enough for her to hit me about the head and proclaim that I'm being a pompous ass. I think it would help."

Tania obligingly smiled at his attempted joke. "But, alas, she's deeply entrenched in her project…whatever that may be."

"Oh yes. Her and bloody M-…"

"Yes?" Tania prodded, suddenly curious. It hadn't occurred to her before, that this so called 'project' of Alex's might be something that involved several people. In fact…

"Nothing really. It's just annoying. When she gets on one of these little Crusades of hers, you know."

"Of course I do."

"Gone on a few yourself, have you?"

Tania replaced her hand on his arm and did not answer.

* * *

"Paranoid. Paranoid. Paranoid." Alex sighed and rubbed her neck. "Nothing in here worth reading. Draco come look at this list."

Frowning, Draco returned from where he'd been doing one last circuit of the room(to make sure they didn't miss anything…or so he said. Alex merely wanted to know if he was looking for traps they _hadn't_ set off yet.). Glancing at the list of protection and detection books he snorted. "Have you ever read any of these, Alex?"

"A few….why?"

"Dark Witches and Wizards: The Way They Think? The Path Not So Straight? When Your Death is Desired? For the Love of Power? Evil Magic and Those Who Use It?" He snickered. "I have. Oh they're terrible. It's all a bunch of drivel."

"As if everyone who uses 'forbidden magics' all have the same motivations and thought patterns." She moved away from the glowing list and eyed the stairs contemplatively. "You know, I think we should write a book, you and I."

"Really?" he sounded amused as he casually banished the list. "What about?"

"Us. Our kind."

"And what would we call it?"

"Hmm…" she chuckled. "Either something really pathetic, like…"

"Beyond the Grey: Inside the Mind of Evil?" Draco suggested.

Alex laughed. "Exactly. That's brilliant. _Or_ we give it no title and put no author's name on it either."

"Nothing to distinguish it," He said slowly, something akin to a smile forming. "You either have to own a copy, or be shown one by someone who does to even know it exists."

"It would be accurate though," she whirled dramatically and grinned, framed by the staircase. "We'd make millions."

"My dear _darling_…" Draco smirked. "I already do."

"You _have_ millions, you don't _make_ millions. And the returns on your investments don't count."

"Semantics."

"Whatever you say. Are we finished down here Draco? I'd rather get this all done."

"Yes. It's all clear. The only thing I haven't-"

"Good." She cut him off and stepped backwards onto the first stair.

"_Dammit! Accio Alex!_" Draco yelled, the spell yanking her across the room. He used the momentum of her slamming into his chest to drop them both to the floor. A glittering light flickered in his vision, roaring overhead.

"…..well that was…deadly…looking." Draco tried to joke, shifting slightly. Alex took the hint and rolled off him.

Lying there, side by side on the floor in front of the bookcase her gaze flickered between the stairs, the far wall and Draco's face. "Merlin," she breathed as if she were really entreating him to save her. All of the self-assurance and bravado that she'd recovered since entering the house vanished.

"Suggestion," Draco heaved himself up onto his elbows. "when you ask a question try _listening _to the answer!"

Alex shut her eyes and nodded silently.

"As I was _trying_ to say, it's all clear, except I haven't cleared out the spells on the staircase yet."

"Good," she replied, her eyes still shut.

"Oh for the love of-You're _still_ not listening to me!" Sitting up he reached over to assist her, willing or not, into a similar position. It was then Draco discovered she was shaking. "Bloody hell. You are _not_ going to go to pieces on me right now, Bellmonte! Come on," he grabbed her shoulders and pulled, albeit slowly. "up."

"I do not want to die, thank you." it came out clipped and precise with an edge of hauteur. She still wasn't looking at him.

"Neither do I. And that is why you need to sit up and join me. If you don't I'll be forced to take on the upstairs on my own and, as I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to get into scrapes. Can you imagine having to face my parents and explain why I'm dead? Or worse," he paused and shuddered. "Professor Snape?"

_That_ definitely got through to her. Alex twitched and stopped resisting his gentle pull. Once she was upright, and looked like she was going to stay that way, he stood. With a practiced flourish Draco pocketed his wand and offered her his hand.

She took it immediately and kept it after she was on her feet…but she wasn't shaking anymore so he let it go.

"Shall we, perhaps, try that one again?"

"I'll not play bait for you a second time, Draco." The declaration lacked the heat necessary to make it effective.

"Oh but you will."

* * *

"Blaise!"

He paused and looked around, "What?"

"_Blaise_!" Stretching up on her tiptoes, Milli waved at him from across the street. "Come here!"

Sighing at the interruption Blaise smiled apologetically at Tania. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

With barely a glance he dashed across the crowded street to the group of Slytherins. Though she didn't really mean to Tania began to guess what they were all saying. It was mostly impossible. Milli talked too fast to try and lip-read and Blaise had his back to her. But, Slytherin though he was, Blaise was true to his word and only a few moments had passed before he was, once again, risking his life in a speedy road crossing.

Unwilling to openly pry into his business Tania couldn't help but give him one, very small, inquiring look.

The boy was good with subtle.

He grimaced. "It looks like I may be spending the night in Common Room."

"Oh?" she encouraged politely.

"It would seem that Malfoy is ill. So ill everyone has been banned from his room...which, consequently, is also my room."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Blaise said just a hint too quickly. Tania caught a flicker of movement at the corners of his mouth and noted it. "Either he'll be better by tonight or they'll move him to the hospital wing. Professor Snape will take care of it, I'm sure."

"I'm sure." She echoed in a low voice, not as vocal in her support of their Head of House but more emphatic.

Blaise yawned and stretched, glancing upwards at the smooth grey sky. "So, anyway, we've covered, Zonko's, Honeyduke's, the Post Office, the theater, the 'Museum of Hogsmeade stuff', and lunch or, as I dis-like to call it, Mistress Monocarp's Munchies. All that's left is, the Shrieking Shack, Madame Pudifoots, if you make me, and all of Supply Street. We've got maybe one more stop before curfew, where do you wanna go?"

"Wherever. It's up to you."

"Well, we _aren't_ going to the 'Great Black Hole of Lace' if I have anything to say about it and it'll be _cold_ up by the Shack by now. So let's jog down Supply Street on our way back to the Castle and you can tell me if anything inspires drool."

Nodding decisively, like she'd just been handed a mission statement, Tania headed for supply Street as if both of their lives depended on it.

"I see my plan agrees with you." Blaise muttered to the no longer present girl both taking off after her. "Gods and magic she's confusing."

Supply Street was as austere as the rest of Hogsmeade was flamboyant. It also suited it's name...or perhaps it had been named after it's purpose had been established.

Either way, it was a double row of dull, square buildings all nestled up to one another and all with only minor decoration on their fronts. Namely, simple signs with the name of the store. But that was the point. This was not the place one went to window shop or buy random trinkets.

No, you went to Supply Street when you'd broken all of your everyday quills or were down to your last few potion vials. All the things you had such fun picking out in Diagon Alley before term began, the things that were now vital necessities to your everyday existence, were purchased, often in great haste and desperation, from somewhere on this street.

As a whole it probably did better business than the rest of the town combined; for who cares the least the amount he is spending but the frantic student fearing the wrath of a teacher?

It was just a little thing, a fumbling of feet, a switching of the steady rhythm that was Tania's stride but in the silence it was enough.

Not caring what he looked like Blaise hurried swung his head around. As he took in the shop they passed he almost grinned. In a way he felt like he should have known.

The Apothecary.

* * *

"Liar. Whiney, sneaky little-"

"just because I played _your_ favorite game for a little while...and beat you at it, doesn't mean I'm a liar. I never said an untruth." Draco paused in his speech to re-cast a shield around the two of them. Somehow frowning around a sigh Alex conjured yet another handful of stones and tossed them onto stair #19. This argument had been 'raging' since #2.

"Well," she flinched as a magical fire flared against their bubble of protection. "since it _is_ my game I feel I have the right to state the rules. And I _know_ that I'm a liar so I promise you are."

"Yeah but you called me, not just a liar," step #20 passed without incident...or spell. "but a whiney, sneaky liar."

"You can_not_ say you don't think I'm sneaky." Alex whiney spectacularly.

"Of course not, but if we're talking about you I think we should add cruel to the list."

There was a silence, during which the faint sound of pebbles falling could be heard. The 21st, and last, stair produced a billowing cloud of poisonous looking mist.

"I believe, Mr. Malfoy," Alex said, barely audible under the hiss of mist vs shield, "That you have mistaken me for my mother."

Draco dispersed his spell as Alex turned and banished all of her stones. "Not that, Miss Bellmonte. Never that."

Alex changed the subject. "Is it just me or is it smaller up here?"

"It is." Draco agreed. They were standing in the hall, but really it was just a landing leading to a single door. The only thing reminiscent of a hallway was a short, five or six foot long stretch that over looked the foyer. "But I don't think this house was ever supposed to have an upstairs. This probably used to be the attic."

"He made it into a bedroom and opened up the rest to make his foyer and front room seem larger? An interesting stylistic choice."

"We're not here to discuss his decorating themes, Alex."

"Draco Auterius Malfoy!" Draco stopped with his fingers mere hairs away from the doorknob. Alex glared. "if you touch that door without testing it then so help me..."

"Now I'm confusing you with _my_ mother." He grumbled, while testing the door. It was clean. He opened it.

A moment later, as he looked into a pair of green eyes and felt a wet trickle between his eyebrows, he heard an irritated, "I am _not_ your mother!"

Draco grinned. "Of course not...mother."

"Next time I'm leaving you stopped." She turned her back on him and entered the sparsely furnished, and very tiny, room.

"But then you'd have to do my Arithmancy homework."

"Merlin! A fate worse than death. I can barely do mine. How about this, you do _my_ Arithmancy homework and I'll do your Ancient Runes?"

"I don't take Ancient Runes."

She shot him a dry look over her shoulder. "That's the point. Wow, you're stupid."

"Gosh, again she's my mother."

Alex ignored him, saying instead, "I almost feel bad for the sadistic bastard. A bed a nightstand and an armoire. Not even a closet. Hell, he doesn't even have a _picture_ on the walls."

"Diseased mind." Draco intoned pompously, moving around the bed to tap at the bedstand.

"Talking about yourself again?" Alex carefully cast her spell on the armoire and frowned when it came back empty. "You know with the paranoia of the rest of this place you'd think he'd put _something_ on his armoire. But the spell came up clean."

She shrugged, pulled open the door and reached into the first shelf.

It was like a rippling wave of ice and then...

Literally between one second and the next a burning, searing feeling filled her. Along with it came the knowledge that someone had just _dared_ to mingle their blood with hers.

"Blood magic!" she snarled, preparing to hunt, torture and eviscerate the culprit.

"Of course." It was spoken in a tone of barely controlled hilarity. "You told me yourself it was the only way to break the spell safely. I wasn't about to risk ending you after all. Even if you did make me do this."

A bloody thumb entered her field of vision, bite marks scoring the pale skin. Alex glared at Draco, noticing the stress he was burying along with the amusement pulling at his mouth.

"I..." she reached up and wiped off her forehead, the crimson liquid staining her fingertips.

"...forgot that the Time-stopper doesn't show up on normal testing spells?" Yes, Draco was definitely laughing at her. But, Alex gave a mental shrug, she'd laughed at him too.

"Aparently."

"Well, there's nothing much in the bedstand. Just a scrap of parchment that looks to be an old list of attacks."

"Copy it." Alex said instantly.

"I already did. You never know what might be useful."

"..." she opened her mouth and shut it again when she realized he'd already said what she'd been about to.

"Since you've already nicely cleared out the spell protections let's look in here. It's the last place."

So the two teens buried their heads in the dark-wood shelves.

"Nothing. Not even a sock." Draco said, pulling himself free.

"Me either, except...wait. Hmm. Come here you!"

"I'm right here Alex."

"Not you!" she snapped. "This...this...got it!"

Alex reappeared, holding a very thin book. She and Draco exchanged matching grins.

Jackpot.

* * *

A/N: First: If I've already given Draco a middle name...I don't remember it, so review and let me know. 

Second: I _know_ I said I'd finish Moody's house this chapter but, due to things beyond my control(mostly, my beta demanded I not post certain things without her approval and she hasn't read that tiny bit yet) the end of it will be a very short first scene in the next chapter.

Third: Snape is absolutely and 100 in the next chapter, heck he's in half the scenes I think. Woot!


	29. A Shadow

A/N: Hiya gentle-folks. I'm back and, as you may notice, this chapter is nice and long too. I plan on trying to put more stuff in each chapter so I don't have to write as many of them.

Anyway, me and my Beat(Jaylyn Gilfer Bustinex) who you may know as the creator of Tania, sat down and talked about it and we've decided. This story plot thiong is very complicated and we will eventually be explaining it in a series of fics all entitled "Behind a Veil of Silver and Green: Whoever" like the title of this will change to Behind...: Alex Bellmonte. each one based off a different Pure-blood's story. But that's far in the future.

Read on.

* * *

"But…they're all just potion ingredients. That is weird beyond belief."

"I believe it. Knowing Moody, though I really don't, I'd say he'd hide the directions to the potions somewhere else."

Alex sighed. "Well, that's it then. A whole bunch of nothing. But make a copy of it."

He shrugged. "_Duplicate_."

"A spell in English?" she shook her head as he replaced the original book to it's spot. "Never mind. I don't want to think that much right now."

"I wouldn't answer your questions anyway." Draco replied, leading the way down the stairs.

"That's why I don't want to talk about it now. I don't have the energy for a drawn out torture session." She pulled open the back door and bowed mockingly. "_Ladies_, and those who scream like girls, first."

Scoffing Draco preceded her. Outside the sun had already begun to disappear but there was still light in the sky.

"_What's done is done_," Alex said deeply, in a tongue that was right where Ancient French and Latin blended. "_return it to what it was_."

Beside her Draco said the same thing, first in pure French then pure Latin. It was a different kind of spell making than taught at Hogwarts. It was both more powerful and more dangerous, for it tapped directly from the magical gift of the person and could be shaped into anything the witch or wizard wanted, so long as they could focus only on the outcome…and provided they had the power. But a wizard's magic is tied to his life….

"Done and done."

"Good." Weariness crept into Alex's tone. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Like a cat with a new mouse. Like Alex with a new toy. Like….oh never mind." Blaise put the metal jar back on the shelf and glanced over his shoulder at Tania, prowling among the shelves of the Apothecary like a kid in a candy store, like….oh never mind.

It was almost painfully cute to watch, she had a sureness of being, a purpose, a _fire_ about her that betrayed her. This was her element. Give Alex a puzzle or problem and she lit up the same way. Heck, give Blaise himself a new language or new Runes and he did the same. They all had their Muses and all obeyed these powerful Ladies with their souls.

Perhaps that was another part of what it was to be Slytherin?

Shaking himself free of his too-deep thoughts Blaise selected another jar and glanced at the label. Featherfern? He'd never heard of it.

Carefully unscrewing the cap Blaise peered at the grayish/green powder and then gingerly sniffed.

"Interesting, it's….it's just like-" Unfortunately Blaise never finished his sentence, a blasting sneeze obliterated it from the knowledge of mankind. Unfortunately again, the blast blew more of the ingredient, which still hovered before Blaise's nose, up into his face.

So he sneezed again….but Blaise was smart enough to remove the jar from around his face before these set in, however the fit did not abate and so he let loose a third time and a forth.

It was after the fourth, train wreck of a sneeze that Tania looked over. Sharp brown eyes took in the entire predicament and she frowned. Quickly crossing to stand in front and a little to the side of him Tania absently offered him a handkerchief with one hand while plucking the jar from him with the other.

"Featherfern?" it was a gentle scoff that blended seamlessly with her exasperated sigh. Retrieving the lid Tania screwed it on and replaced the jar on the shelf before turning her back to Blaise and walking to the far wall.

Once there she spent several long, sneeze filled moments, studying the contents of the shelves before selecting a small vial. A second later the small glass round was very nearly shoved up Blaise's left nostril and Blaise, frantically trying to breathe in and around his sneezing inhaled some quite by accident.

His fit ended as suddenly as it began. He smiled gratefully as he wiped his streaming nose and eyes with her handkerchief. Tania merely went about the business of re-corking the vial.

About to offer her the cloth back Blaise stopped in mid-motion and shrugged sheepishly. "I'll have that cleaned for you." He said as he pocketed the white square.

"You should be profoundly grateful that Miss Dethart pays attention when I teach her something Mister Zabini _and_ that she knows that Downis counteracts the severe allergic reaction humans have to powdered Featherfern." From his place beside the counter, obviously in the act of paying for a purchase Professor Snape eyed his two students…quite nearly amused. "_You_, however, should know, after three years in my class, _not_ to stick your nose in any random potion ingredient you come across."

Blaise grinned endearingly at his Head of House. "Yes sir. But you know I've always been the dull sort."

"Only when it suits you Mister Zabini." Turning his gaze from his adorably errant student to his silent one, Snape lifted one hand in beckon. "Mistress Deliney I would like to introduce to you, Miss Tania Dethart."

The thin woman behind the counter eyed the small girl who obeyed her Professor and came to join their group. "A pleasure Miss Dethart."

"Likewise." Tania responded automatically, dipping a polite curtsey.

"She will likely be as good a customer for you as I." Snape said, shattering the feminine courtesy of the moment. Belatedly Blaise walked over and joined then, leaning casually on the counter.

Deliney raised an eyebrow at Snape's comment and gave Tania a much more thorough look. The girl was small, fragile looking, but she _was_ smart, she could listen and recall direction and she could keep her head under strange and unusual circumstances…as the experience just now had shown.

And on top of that she was self-contained, entirely within her skin…unlike the boy who currently seemed to be oozing over the countertop. Perhaps she would do. Severus tended to know what he was talking about.

"She'll also be coming to pick up packages for me from time to time, Alanna." Snape continued catching the shopkeeper's eye. "As you never tell me how much you'll be getting in, kindly let her have it even if I haven't give her enough to cover the full price of the ingredient. I'll take care of the difference when I visit you next."

It took Alanna a moment, a moment she was somewhat ashamed of, to figure out what he meant. But eventually it dawned on her. The girl was poor, sell her whatever she needed at as low a price as she'd accept and Snape would cover the difference.

"Of course. I wouldn't imagine doing anything different." She snapped, as if offended while inwardly she sighed. That man was the biggest softie on the planet, wizard or Muggle. It was a good thing the girl already had a boyfriend otherwise she would start crushing on her Professor…and poor Severus had no clue how to handle those when they came his way.

Blaise glanced out the windows at the sky. "You don't need to rush or anything but we only have maybe another forty-five minutes until curfew Tania."

"Quite." Snape added as Tania looked longingly around the store. "You'll see more than enough of this place doing my errands Miss Dethart, I assure you. But I do believe Miss Bellmonte will be finished with her project by now." this last was pointed significantly at Blaise who shot his Head of House a startled look.

Sighing but agreeing Tania began to head for the door, Blaise hovering just behind.

After they left, Snape collected his purchase. "I'm afraid I must be going as well."

"Of course. See you soon Severus." Alanna said to his back as he departed. "Ya big softie."

And if he heard her additive he never said.

* * *

"Bath." Alex moaned for the sixth time since they'd come into sight of the castle.

"Clean socks." Draco supplied. He seemed to have more energy than her and so was able to come up with different and more bizarre replies to her plea for a bath.

"Merlin, I _so_ want a bloody bath!"

"And I want a new hair color…oh look the door." They slipped back into the castle by the same door they'd exited from, taking care as they skirted corners and slipped down hallways to avoid being seen by the first and second years still here.

Luckily most of the student body was still in Hogsmeade. They made it to the dungeons unseen. They were home free. They…

"Mister Malfoy. Miss Bellmonte. I'm afraid I missed you both in Hogsmeade today."

Alex winced and froze as Draco turned around to face their newest problem. "Professor?"

"Yes, and then I got to thinking. What could possibly draw the two of you away from the delights of the place? Well it was obvious with you Miss Bellmonte. You had a puzzle to solve. But Draco. What could have taken you from Hogsmeade? It made quite a question."

Alex sighed, too tired to be stung by the insinuation that she was predictable. "Professor Snape, _please_, is there a point?"

Snape looked down at the pair a forbidding something radiating from him. "Then I thought," he continued in a much softer, much more terrifying, voice. "What project could Alex have that would draw Draco away from the fun? There really are only a few goals the two of you share…only one worth missing a trip to Hogsmeade. So that makes me wonder what exactly you two were doing about your Moody Problem…"

"Professor…" Draco said again, but Snape waved him silent.

"But as you are both alive, and as long as you promise me you did nothing you will be caught for, what I do not know will not hurt you."

Alex paused, unwilling to make a promise that she couldn't keep…especially to Snape. Apparently Draco felt the same way.

After a few minutes of soul-searching and memory-combing(and glancing at each other) they nodded.

"Yes sir. We won't be caught."

"Good. I suggest you both get cleaned up. The rest of your classmates should be returning in the next forty minutes."

"Yessir."

"Thank you sir." Together the turned and began to finish their trek to Common Room.

"One thing." Snape called after them. "I won't be available for a period of time next Monday afternoon. I'm afraid I have to meet with Professor Moody right after classes to discuss the detentions of Hunter Dethart and his gang. Unfortunately the man is so paranoid he has a silence spell around his office. Nothing can get in or out. I will be entirely unavailable for half an hour at least."

With a silent sweep of his robe Snape moved away.

"D…did you hear him?" Alex whispered as they dashed down the last hall towards the portrait.

"I did."

"He just told us when to search Moody's classroom."

"I know."

* * *

"Tania," Blaise began after they crossed the threshold to the castle. Tania eyed him discretely. He was practically twitching. But of course, she thought just a little bitterly, Alex should be done with her project by now.

"May I see myself back to Common Room?" she heard herself ask quietly and then followed it with the quick cover up, "If you don't mind?"

Blaise nearly melted with relief. "Of course not. I would never impose."

Tania offered him a tiny smile and walked away towards the dungeons. Pausing at one of the corners she looked back and saw Greg and Vince had joined her companion, their heads bent close together.

So she'd been right. Draco was in on this…in fact he was probably with Alex at this moment. Tania once again found herself getting caught up in _what_ this "project" could _possibly_ entail. It must be something big to include that many of her Housemates.

Her mind working furiously Tania paced rapidly into Common Room. She didn't stop as she crossed the empty space…after all no one would be in here now. The First and Second years would all be out running around and everyone else was still in Hogsmeade.

Her thoughts and her body were brought to an unexpected stop as she ran into a pair of legs. A quick glance followed the thin, stocking clad extremities from were they sat propped on the low table up to where the rest of one Alex Bellmonte lay collapsed on the couch.

"Hello Tania m'dear." She drawled tiredly. "How was Hogsmeade?"

"Interesting." Tania answered safely, dying to add, _"How was your secret project?"_

"With Blaise I imagine," she paused and let loose a jaw-splitting yawn, "imagine it would be. Come. Sit."

Gingerly taking the seat Alex was patting, Tania tried to figure out what to say.

"Did Blaise splurge at Honeyduke's?" the older girl asked, neatly solving her problem.

Tania laughed, silently and humorlessly. "I wouldn't know. He certainly spent more money than I," she paused and rephrased, "than most of my year mates have ever seen."

"Good old Blaise. And let me guess, he insisted on buying everything you wanted…because 'you are with him'?"

Tania nodded, flushing again at the memory.

"Merlin, his bloody 'code'…thingy. Gets annoying doesn't it." Alex yawned again.

Taking advantage of the momentary break in questions Tania decided to get the focus off herself and asked, "So, how was your day?"

"Boring…yet somehow hard. I blame Alex." Draco commented dryly, plodding his way down the stairs from the boys dorm, his hair wet.

"You do that." Alex replied without a hint of a fight.

Tania made a mental note….but she wasn't about to keep up her chatter in front of _Draco Malfoy_.

"everyone knows everyone, yes?" Alex asked, waving a hand between the two of them. "Tania Dethart, Draco. Vice versa. Etc. So forth."

"_I_ introduced her to _you_, Alex." Draco put in leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh so very long ago."

It suddenly struck Tania that he didn't _look_ massively ill. Which meant it was a…cover story? Probably?

But if it was why was he calling his own bluff? Had someone else started the rumor? Should she tell them?

Before she could work up her nerve the faint sound of voices from the hallway outside decided her.

Before she could think,(_looooooong_ before she could think) Tania dashed across the room and slipped her arms around Draco's waist so she was supporting him on one side. "Please, Mister Malfoy," she said urgently, "You shouldn't be up. You've been _very sick_ all day. _That why you weren't in Hogsmeade_."

Draco froze and stared at her for a minute, while Tania listened to the voices coming closer. She didn't know _why_ it was a secret, but it was important to people….people she wasn't admitting might be important to her. Blaise and Alex at least.

Understanding flashed across two faces at once and Alex scrambled up. "Bed! Go!" she hissed even as Draco started back up the stairs at top speeds.

Tania gratefully let him go, allowing herself a grin of triumph when he disappeared from sight.

As the returning crowd from Hogsmeade poured into the room Tania saw Alex mouth a silent, "Thank you." And disappear up to her own dorm.

* * *

The stillness of night was shattered, silently and unnoticed, as an even heavier blackness descended on the place. Overhead stars winked to each other in their normal dance, but this too went unnoticed in the putrid pit that was Knockturn Alley after dark.

"On the left, Master," an insignificant squeak informed.

Turning as directed the shadowy face of wizarding terror eyed the building before him. Tall enough to hold three stories, though it only housed two, it was something of an abnormality on this row. All around it storefronts leaned in over the thin strip of pavement but the seemingly eternal bookstore leaned back and away. Separate from its neighbors the storefront would have been respectable in Diagon Alley or even Hogsmeade. Yet it was this place only that held the darkest of knowledge that the Dark Lord himself sought.

Gliding silently to the right of the building Voldemort found the back stairs. They were, amusingly enough, invisible. As if such a spell would stop _him_. Chuckling softly, anticipation rolling through him like adrenaline, Voldemort stepped forward and walked casually up the stairs no one could see.

Down below he heard Wormtail scramble to follow. He chuckled again. If the little creature could manage it he would be much surprised.

At the top of the twisted metal steps lay the only door to the second level of this place. It too was invisible. Looking at it like it were an erring child and he it's compassionate parent, Voldemort walked through the entrance. The pressure of the wood was a fleeting pain added to all the other agonies he lived with continually.

He ignored it.

"So, this is where you live, little foe?" he asked, by this point thoroughly enjoying himself.

* * *

Jackle twisted in his dreams. Nightmares of a kind that never came to the old wizard. He had seen so much that he could not survive the memories of it like normal people could, and his mind knew this, safely locking away all of his dark dreams.

"Hello." It was spoken softly, almost kindly, lifting the old man from his tortured dreams. Jackle looked up with a half smile at the shadow-shrouded man leaning over him.

For a moment he thought it was the crawling thief from earlier, the smell was much the same, but the eyes of his visitor told him different. They were swirling irises of black, green and blood red, alight, just now, with anticipation and pure desire.

"Who are you?" he demanded, tucking his hand beneath his blanket for his wand.

"Someone who is very interested in obtaining your collection." The man replied casually. "Oh, are you feeling around for this? I found it earlier and am quiet adept at using it. Would you like me to show you?"

Lifting a translucent hand that grasped Jackle's wand firmly the man, creature, _thing_ smiled.

* * *

Waiting, huddled against the corner of the building, for his Master to reappear, Wormtail shivered with cold. Above him, barely noticed but as a light to see his dark surroundings by, the stars passed. Night crept ever onward. Despite his fear, the cold and the awkwardness of his position Wormtail felt himself pulled once and again towards sleep.

Then, all of a sudden, the building at his back seemed to shiver with him. One big massive heave, like a breath held too long being loosed. And beside him, appeared a heavy iron stair leading up to a door high above his head.

Lurching to his feet, his legs complaining as they had, at least, succumbed to sleep, the small man moved up onto the first step. From above him the door slammed silently open and a far too familiar face peered out.

"Come!" Voldemort demanded angrily, as if Wormtail had failed him in some way.

"Is he dead milord?" Wormtail asked, dashing up to his master.

"Dealt with." Came the cold reply. "Now that I have fixed your blundering find me what I want!"

"Y-yes, Master."

* * *

A/N: Icky nasty yuck. I hate writing for Voldie. Moving on. Review. 


	30. Monday

A/N: La la. I have nothing to say. Aren't you all happy about it too.

Just a little time-line update. Somewhere within the next 5-8 chapters we'll get to the Yule Ball. Lots of Tania fun in that little party too.

Anyway, the point is, yes we are making some progress. If you could see my List of Scenes To Be Written you'd know that.

Oh yeah, a quick question: Does anyone want to know what I think Alex and Blaise look like? Cause if so I'll go through the trouble of uploading the pics I've found and posting the URLs for you all.

* * *

There were no mixed reactions to go with their mixed success. Instead a quiet, grim determination to "get on with it" infected the conspirators.

But of course none of this could be talked about at table Monday morning for breakfast. And of course, there was little that hadn't been talked to death on Sunday.

The day dawned with a bright warmth that heralded a break in the chill, for which the entire student body was thankful, and little other fanfare. Getting up a little later than usual Alex trooped to the required breakfast as obediently as she did anything. Waiting for her was the usual people, the usual chatter and the usual food.

She ignored a yawn that threatened her 'social face' and chose a seat, then a pear.

"Morning Lex."

"Blaise."

"Alex."

"Draco. Oh and good morning Tania."

Very quietly, "Morning, Alex."

"Anyway…" Alex couldn't think of anything to add and so left her sentence as it was. Silent as ever Greg and Vince joined their 'merry' band of not-so-morning people.

The overall mood wasn't disturbed in the least by the pale flutter of a couple dozen wings. The Daily Prophet had begun to deliver at off times from the rest of the mail. Alex glanced up long enough to see Draco's owl swoop in gracefully before returning to her pear. After all, as a Bellmonte _she_ certainly didn't get her information from a _newspaper_.

She grinned at her own conceit. A brown barn owl, completely ordinary in everyway so that it was impossible to find any defining marks on it, flew in unnoticed with the rest of the birds. It paused only a second over Alex and dropped it's thick envelope onto the empty plate next to hers before exiting with the rest of the small flock. She didn't have time to do more than split the heavy wax seal before Draco caught her attention with the hint of strain in his voice.

"Listen." It was command and request but it pulled in the attention of every Slytherin in earshot.

**_Unexplained and Unsolvable _**

**_These are the words on everyone's lips. At least those who know. For those of you who don't, I'll explain._**

**_On the quiet end of Knockturn Alley is a small, unassuming shop known as Jackle's. But as unassuming as the establishment is, it's list of clientele is filled with the famous, infamous or both. Among them some of the most known names of our time. And everyone who shopped there knew the owner: a small, unassuming man in his own right was Meleris Jackle._**

****

"Was?" an unidentifiable voice asked, speaking the discrepancy they all recognized instantly.

"Read." Hunter Dethart ordered, silencing any other comments with a stern Look.

**_Late Sunday afternoon a long-time friend of Jackle's came by to pick up an order of books his daughter had placed and, after ringing the bell several times with no response, went around the back of the building. Once there he saw several set of footprints in the mud. Knowing that Jackle never used the back set of stairs to reach his apartment, as there was another, more convenient set inside, Lord Bellmonte raced in to find the body of his childhood friend sprawled across his bedroom floor._**

**_It was a tragic scene to behold, the infamous, reclusive Lord being supported by his wife as the Ministry Investigators questioned him before a backdrop of the body being removed from the apartment._**

**_"What killed him is unknown," says Coroner Wizard Giri Legunus. "As far as I can tell he was either tortured to death, without the tiniest trace left upon him, body of mind, or he was frightened to death."_**

**_The Ministry refuses to give a statement other than saying that "the investigation is underway." And, as usual, no one can reach either of the Bellmontes for comment. Several of his best customers had this to say about the man's untimely death:_**

****

Draco looked up from the paper. "The rest is absolute drivel. All quotes from idiots who actually admit to being good customers. Worse this is a minor commentary on the 12th page."

A frown passed its way around the table. Most of them had been to Jackle's at least once. No one had ever disliked the man, which was saying something.

"I _was_ wondering how they managed to get all that past the Ministry. Truth it might be but it isn't exactly the Ministry Line." A pretty seventh year, Tara Cromwell, commented softly.

Alex had a sudden desire to know what was in the large, unmarked, envelope but she was too well trained to open it now. The name Bellmonte had been brought up twice already. If her parents hadn't come forward with the Family Line yet then she wasn't going to get involved.

She carefully slid the package onto her lap and out of sight as around her the table fell into a lively discussion of ways to kill without leaving a mark.

* * *

The day went by normally enough. First was a brief stint in Care of Magical Creatures. There was, confusingly, homework handed out at the end of the class. This was an event that had yet to occur this year and as such, certainly surprised quite a few people.

Alex spent her short Lunch break pouring over the "Monster book of monsters" and all other Magical Creature texts as she ate. Homework always coming before personal study…unfortunately.

After that came a rather stressful Transfigurations lesson; the class made stressful merely because there were Gryffindors and cactuses involved. But it was nothing out of the ordinary…and if the unopened envelope in her book back burned in her mind every second of it, well Alex was too well trained to reveal it.

The time between Transfigurations and dinner was absolutely consumed by a frantically methodical scribbling. Indeed most of her Professors would have been amazed at how quickly she turned out her usual O level papers.

Unfortunately she had several, as the planning for a certain weekend fieldtrip had forced her to procrastinate. Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and History of magic flew from her ink stained fingers. She condensed her notes and wrote up a comprehensive outline for her Potions paper, but Professor Snape knew her work far too well to rush…and as for Arithmancy. Well, it was mostly impossible to _rush_ through Arithmancy anything but the work wasn't due for another three days anyway.

"Don't be late for dinner, if you please." Pansy said over her shoulder as she straightened her hair back to utterly perfect proportions.

Alex straightened up and carefully placed her quill back in it's stand. She picked up a book as she stood. "Here."

Pansy turned and took back her book with a tiny frown.

"Thank you for the loan." Alex said, blithely aware that Pansy had merely left it out, not loaned it to her. That she was getting it back was a thank you for her reminder of the time.

And Pansy knew it. It wasn't why she'd spoken though, the surprise in her eyes said as much. Which brought up the, Why _had_ she said anything, question.

A shrug and a walk later Alex was in the Great Hall dying to race back to her dorm and pull a certain envelope out from under her bed.

* * *

"But-" Pansy whispered to herself, staring at the copy of "Magical Mis-uses of Money". Alex Bellmonte didn't reply to her half spoken question. Alexandra Bellmonte was gone. To dinner. Where Pansy should be.

Damn it.

_Why_ had she said anything! If _Miss Bellmonte_ was late to dinner what did it matter to Pansy?

She was new money. She was new blood. She wasn't in Alex's echelon. She wasn't on her level.

Alex had made that much clear on the day she'd walked into the dorm for the very first time after Sorting. Pansy had been the only one who'd arrived, having known no one to chat with in Common Room. She'd taken the bed all the way to the right.

Alex took one look at her and chose the bed all the way on the left.

"Damn it!" she snarled hurling the book onto her bed. "I _hate_ this! I want to go _home_!"

But home was no refuge for Pansy, and she knew her own stupidity even as she said it.

"Dammit!"

Pansy went down to dinner.

* * *

One two three. Alex rapped three times on the door and settled her hands on her hips, waiting impatiently.

One, two, three, four…the door opened, faint light spilled into the pitch-dark hallway and she snapped, "Blaise! I need t-oh."

Vince absently scratched his bare chest as he looked down at her. Stifling a yawn he stepped back and ushered her inside.

Alex fell to blinking rapidly and absolutely _refusing_ to let herself blush. It would seem Arithmancy had taken her longer than she'd thought. All four boys were sleeping, or trying to.

It would also seem that at least the fourth year boys didn't wear shirts to bed.

From what she could see of Greg and Draco, as they both sat up and blinked sleepily, they might be wearing even less.

As Alex was taking in _that_ set of visuals Vince crossed to yet another bed and, reaching into the mass of blankets, grabbed a handful of Blaise's hair. He then used said hair to lever Blaise to a sitting position. From the lack of protest Alex was forced to come to the strange conclusion that it wasn't an unusual occurrence.

"Talk." Vince grunted eloquently, jerking a thumb in Blaise's direction while seeking his own mattress.

_Crap! So much for subtleness_.

Pulling herself up and calling on her best dimple Alex flashed a brilliant smile. "Hi boys."

There was a chorus of groans and someone unknown(Alex would've put money on Draco) muttered a few interesting words about her, a pillow and a confrontation at high speeds.

Blaise answered her smile with one of his own and climbed out of bed with a groan of, "Alright, Lex I'm coming."

Alex had to blink again. Blaise _definitely_ didn't wear anything to bed. Between that and the sleepy grin she'd just seen Alex began to pray that Tania had a strong heart to her.

A few minutes, and some clothes, later they were in the dimly lit hallway outside the boys' dorms.

"So?" Blaise demanded grumpily.

"Hmph." Alex crossed her arms. "If you're going to be like that about it then I think I'll wait til morning."

"_Woman_!" Blaise growled warningly. "You just woke me up at…whatever ungodly hour this is! I am standing here, barefoot on this blisteringly cold stone floor for you. _Talk_!"

"Merlin but you're cute when you're grumpy, Grumpy."

"Clever, Lex." He fought and lost to a yawn. "Ge' _on_ with it!"

She sighed and proffered a thick brown envelope he vaguely remembered her getting at breakfast.

"What's this?" he demanded suspiciously even as he took and pulled out a sheaf of papers.

"It would seem, that my parents decided to include me in family business again." Alex wrinkled her nose. "It would seem the death of Jackle is now family business. If the Ministry doesn't solve it _we_ will."

"And…" Blaise trailed off, his question answered as he flipped through the papers, which included copies of the coroner's report, all the notes from all aspects of the investigation and several pages written in Lady Bellmonte's familiar hand detailing a list of possible suspects, motives and means.

"See anything you like?" Alex teased.

"Lex."

"What?"

"You said this was family business."

"Yes I did. What's your point?" she settled back on her heels and frowned at him.

"Why are you showing this to me?"

A glare joined the frown. "You're family." She stated ferociously.

"Your parent gave you permission to include me?"

The flash in her green eyes answered his question quite adequately even as Alex repeated, "You're _Family_!"

"So," Blaise suddenly felt very tired. Gods the girl was exhausting. "do you want to go over this now?"

"No." Alex looked profoundly disappointed. "We're going to have to dance our way out of this one anyway. We'll talk later, when your room mates aren't counting the minutes."

"Gotcha." Blaise covered another yawn. "What should we tell them."

"I had a nightmare."

"You don't look like you've been asleep and if you _really_ had a nightmare we'd lie to cover it up."

"Fine! Umm…" Alex yawned and glared at Blaise again.

He sighed. Of _course_ it was his fault she'd yawned. He carefully replaced the papers into the envelope and handed it back to her. "You had a question about your Ancient Runes homework that's due tomorrow."

"So I'm behind in my schoolwork. Sure. Why not." she shook her head and hugged him.

"Night Lex." He whispered, holding her close.

"Night Blaisey-boy."

He dropped a quick kiss on her hair and disappeared back into his dorm.

* * *

A/N: There it is. Isn't it pretty?

Now please excuse me. MyBox Set of all of the Gundam Wing episodes just arrived in today's mail I need ot go watch them.


	31. Tuesday

A/N: Okay then. I've never gotten around ot doing this so I figured it was about time to thank all of my wonderful reviewin-type people. I adore you all, seriously. That said I have also decided to speak to/answer any questions or comments i found especially important in various reviews(and yes some of this is quite old. You'll have to for give me).

SO, a huge thanks to,

fire-sprite-14

Fireblade K'Chona

sheepdawg

jamesismysweetheart

Severiona Black

Wanamaker

LaLa-the-Panda

Hidden Relevance

Ozalan

Chaotic reign

Bubbles

Jadzania

Linthilde

CarbonMonoxide

Smidgens

katie

FlamingAmulet

mz malfoy

EvilStrawberry

Ehlonna

Now then here's them question things. 

**When's this set?** Since everyone except the Detharts are Harry's age this is during Goblet of Fire.

**...oh, poor Draco! Lucius is a stupid bastard.** Agreed.

**Just one question: what was Alex's motivation for telling Draco that she trusted him? Was it 'cuz she's a little scared, or is she trying to convince herself, or something else that I missed 'cuz I'm** **silly like that? **Well, I don't know 100 myself. It just came out of her mouth, and to be honest it felt like it needed saying. She doesn't like him(mostly), barely knows him but, when it comes down to him or the rest of the world, she'd pick him...cause he's a Slytherin and they understand each other.

**Poker Night? please tell more? **Well, let me put it this way, at some point this spring(nad by that I mean the Spring I nthe story) the Slytherin girls will be having a sleepover/poker night thingy in Common Room. No boys allowed/enter at your own peril. At some point Blaise may try and crash it. We'll all just have to wait and see if he survives the experience.

**I think you made Draco's middle name Lucious.** Entirely possible(and thanks so much for the help). Many/Most fanfics do give him his father's name as a middle name so I might have taken the easy way out. As it is, a friend of mine is just starting to read my stuff so if she comes across me actually giving him that as a middle name I'll fix it. If not I'll just stick with the one I have.

**the only reason you don't have a million zillion lotsa lotsa reviews is beacuse your story is not on any of the popular pairings, **You know, I really want to say thanks for saying that. I was wondering about my lack of reviews(and was blaming several other things) but now that you say it that really does make sense. When I go looking for fics to read I search for pairings I like. Makes sense everyone else would too.

**By the way, I would love to know how you picture Alex and Blaise. You don't happen to have a visual of Tania too, do you?** Oh yeah. Lots of pics of everybody.(No one that was in the movies though) They're all under my profile at the very bottom. It was easier than trying to post all those links in my ANs. If I left out someone then please let me know and I'll do my best to find/post a pic of them.

**Thanx for the update. And also, thanx for being so regular with your updates.** My pleasure. It's kinda a head rush. This is the longest thing I've ever written...and that includes the work I've doen on any one of my novels(or even my trilogies put together).

**I was also wondering if there is some sort of secret "romance" between Blaise and Alex?** No. Really, emphatically no. They are(and will remain) brother and sister. When I get around to writing Blaise's story(which I will...eventually) you'll understand that better.

**draco n alex have GOT 2 get 2getha!** I know. I know. I'm working on it. But the two of them are just SO stubborn! I can promise you some good stuff in...hmm...five chapters. Or rather four plus this one.

* * *

. 

"I'm going with you this time." Blaise leaned across the bed (Alex was once more inside the boys' dorm) ready to do battle.

Alex shrugged. "Sure."

"And don't you give me tha-" he pulled himself up sharply and looked like he was going to hit her.

She grinned.

"Why do you _do_ that to me!"

"Because I can't help myself." Alex flopped across the bed next to Blaise with a small, _Oof_. "It's an ingrown urge at this point."

"Agreed." Draco said, his back to them both as he selected a shirt from his wardrobe. "Now did you _really_ have strategy to discuss or was that just an excuse to get past the door guard?"

"Are you implying that I merely wanted to see if I could catch another glimpse of your drool-worthy flesh before breakfast?" she sighed and shook her head sorrowfully. "Sorry to have to be the one to tell you this Draco, but you're a dandy. And dandies look best _in_ their clothes, not out of them."

The 'door guard' smirked, Vince right along with him. Though no one could see his face the tensing of Draco's back gave away his annoyance the way his expression never would have.

Alex almost felt sorry for her remark. Almost. Male egos were so fragile!

"Seriously, Lex. It's early." Blaise groaned.

"Not so early you all weren't up and out of the shower when I got here. You can't blame me for waking you up."

"Girl has a point."

"Why thank you Vince."

He sketched her a bow. "My pleasure."

"I really just wanted to stop by and see if any of you thought we needed a better plan then, 'You three go right and we'll go left'."

"That sounds fine with me." Draco's voice was briefly muffled by a crisp white shirt. "Though I suggest we include a 'Don't touch that' and 'Shut up' clause."

She nodded and stood. "Good. Then I can go eat my morning fruit."

"I'm pairing up with you though, Lex." Blaise stated firmly, seeming, yet again, to expect a fight. Again she shrugged.

"Makes sense. I already trained Draco so he should know what to look for."

"Hey!"

"I'm off to eat my fruit." Alex said in a sing-song voice, speaking over and ignoring Draco's indignation. "See you down there boys."

With a wave and a grin she slipped out the door.

Draco gave up his sputtering and sank onto his bed with a sigh. "You think she'll ever get tired of getting that reaction out of me?" he asked, almost rhetorically, pulling a sock.

"Naw." Blaise replied, grinning. "Not as long as you keep playing it up like that."

Draco matched his dorm mate's grin with one of his own. "Oh good. She's so much fun to mess with. Especially when she thinks she's winning."

Vince snorted. "I don't think she'd be any fun at all if she didn't think she was winning."

"Please," and Blaise was all in earnest, "_don't_ make her lose."

Greg and Vince exchanged looks as Draco lifted an eyebrow at their last dorm mate. Blaise usually wasn't so…quiet? Protective?

"She," Blaise seemed to be debating with himself over what to say and not say, "she doesn't handle it well. And it's not just her personality."

That was all they'd get out of him on the matter. Draco knew that and left it. "Well," he said instead, "if she keeps it up I won't have to fake losing very often at all."

"She's got you there." Greg put in, digging for his shoes.

"And most everywhere else I dare say."

"Your faith in your fellow men is somewhat lacking Zabini." Draco drawled, indolently.

"I don't doubt your prowess in any way, Malfoy. I just know Lex too well."

"How _did_ that come about?" Vince was curious, "The Zabinis and the Bellmontes have no historical connections like they do with the Malfoys…"

Blaise's voice seemed to drop though in reality it didn't change a bit. Maybe it was his eyes. "I didn't get out a lot when I was little. My parents weren't big on handling a toddler _and_ their Peers. So when I did go to my first party…well let's just say Lex rescued me."

From who, or what, he'd been rescued from went unsaid, though Draco had a good idea. The Bellmontes weren't the only one with connections.

"Boys!" an annoying, an all too familiar female voice sounded from the exact top of the stairs. "Uphold the House honor or I'll uphold you!"

Grinning, the four finished their morning preparation and turned out into the hallway to spot Tara Cromwell. In her usual spot exactly four inches from the top of the staircase, hustling(and hassling) lazy Slytherin boys out to breakfast.

There hadn't been a single Slytherin missing at the morning meal since that Incident in Tara's second year. She'd made it her mission, and done a good job at it.

Draco had been on her bad side only once and had made a point of rising early since then. She was just that kind of scary.

* * *

.

"Umm, Professor?" Henrietta Laurence lifted her hand above her head in an unconsciously graceful movement. This group of Hufflepuffs shared several of the core classes with the Slytherins and had learned, as the Gryffindors hadn't, that if you left the Slytherins alone they would return the favor.

It was no longer a thing of terror to speak up in a class filled with them…and so the question. Moody turned, amazingly enough, _both_ eyes on the girl in inquiry.

"Sir, may I ask, why are there only three Unforgivables? There are a _ton_ of really evil, nasty spells so…" she trailed off. Moody looked thoughtful.

"Sir, if I may?" Draco drawled, lifting his own hand slightly.

And though he nodded agreement the Professor frowned, as if to warn Draco away from something.

Whatever it was Draco couldn't tell so he just started talking. "I completely agree with you Henrietta. The number of truly evil curses is appalling. What really sets the Three apart is ability."

"Ability?" the Hufflepuff asked it without thinking, but she was drinking in his every word(as were most of the class) and so didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, when it comes right down to it anyone can perform an Unforgivable."

"Really?" this from Moody, challenging.

"Of course Professor." Blaise leaned back in his chair and picked up the thread of conversation. "We were so interested in the subject that we did a whole ton of research on them. It would seem, according to the transcripts from the original council meeting where they decided what to include on the list, that all you need to use an Unforgivable effectively is to _want_ it badly enough. Well, that and the spell word. You have to really desire the other person's pain or death or whatever."

Alex waited until he nodded at her on his last word before adding her own two bits. "Most other curses, however nasty the effects are, are much harder to perform and control. It would take a great deal of time and training to learn even a few, and even then, if you don't do it exactly right you might just get caught up in it yourself."

"Oh?" Moody tried not to sound condescending, and failed. His sharp tones were noticed by the whole class and even the Hufflepuffs looked at him in surprise and annoyance. "I find it hard to believe that the lot of you aren't merely making this up off the top of your heads."

And lastly Pansy, of all people, spoke up, her eyes flashing with dislike. "Would examples satisfy you Professor? Because some of the spells in far distant fourth and beyond are known, at least in theory to me. Tied for forth were the Sock spell and the Heartbreaker. _Penitus Externus_, which quite literally turns the victim inside out, and _Viscus Intorqueo_, which literally translated means twisted heart. It twists, squeezes the victims heart until it explodes within them. But the only reported uses of those two were in 1816 during the Domburian murders and in 1876 when the great-grandfather of-"

"I see you really have done your homework." Moody cut in sharply, well aware that she was going to bring his own ancestors into this, "Very well. We'll continue this discussion next class. You're all dismissed."

Standing with the rest of the students, Draco waded his way through his own kind to the Others. "Lady Henrietta," he started gallantly, "that was a good question."

She froze, along with all of her friends, to stare at him. "Th-thank you, Malfoy." Her voice drained of all color when his eyebrows twitched at the use of his last name. Surely not all the school had taken up that annoying little habit of Harry Potter's…

"I rather enjoyed an intelligent discussion during class. When one studies with Gryffindors one is often left to fend for one's self."

"I-I…thank you." She stammered again. "Excuse me."

Then without another word, or glance, the whole group swept off, leaving him alone. Draco began to feel _That_ ache in his chest again. But the next instant Greg and Vince had found him again, and Zabini shot him a sympathetic look from his seat.

Draco swallowed the agony of isolation and rejoined his group. His very _small_ group.

"_Inflammo Tergum_? A nice choice, Pansy, but don't you think that it would be a little...obvious? I mean human torches tend to light up quite a bit of space."

Pansy smiled frostily at Alex's statement. "Well, there is always, _Tergum Emoveo_."

"_Tergum Emoveo_?" Draco put in. "Never heard of it."

"Oh?" Alex wasn't paying him any attention at all as she answered, "That one skins the victim alive. I must say out all of the top ten though _Decerpo Renovo_ has got to be my favorite. It's tricky but the effect is both subtle and spectacular. If you cast it correctly it will undo any magical healing the victim has ever had done. If he broke his arm when he was three then it'll rebreak it."

"Really?" Snape stopped beside their group, who were all very aware that Moody was eavesdropping on them, and lifted an eyebrow. "Interesting. The last person I knew who tried to learn it ended up not only resistant to Healing magic but actually reversed it."

"He cut himself and when he tried to heal he cut himself again?" Pansy asked, having grasped his meaning only a second before the rest.

"So I was told. But I believe class is over?"

"Yes sir, professor." They all replied meekly, standing and gathering their books. As one the Slytherins trooped out into the hallway.

"An interesting class." Pansy commented.

"I know." Alex agreed. "I was happily surprised. I'm so proud of our Hufflepuffs, they're learning."

"Well, with us around so much, they'd kind of have to."

"Wow! The two of you are actually agreeing on something." Draco looked from one girl to the other and smiled.

They didn't. Instead both stiffened, as if only just now realizing what they'd been doing and with whom. Exchanging heated glares that almost hissed Pansy whirled on her heel and stalked off.

Alex turned her glare on Draco. "You bloody bastard! Come on. Let's get this over with!"

Blaise held the classroom door open for her, careful to stay out of reach of her claws(which were, at the moment, fully extended).

Both professors had disappeared and the office was shut.

"We don't have much time." Draco muttered to his two friends.

"Ya think." Greg drawled. "_You_ don't have much time to live either, if that look Bellmonte gave you was any indication."

"Oh shut up. I'll deal with Alex later."

"You do that." Alex whispered, her mouth just behind his left ear.

Draco just about jumped out of his skin. "Where did you learn to move so silently!" he hissed.

She laughed, not nicely either. "You'd like to know. Come on Blaise. The boy was right about one thing, we _don't_ have a lot of time."

They split off to the left side of the room. Their actions and spells had to be a great deal more subtle this time, as they were only feet from the man himself, but, with three more competent searchers they still managed good speed.

Low, two-shelf, bookcases ran the length of the room and these, along with the students' desks, were quickly cleared. But then he would've been stupid to hide something there. Almost every book was moved or looked at every week by various classes.

In the natural course of things Draco and his group ended up with the wardrobe, the one that had once held a boggart in Professor Lupin's era. Alex wrinkled her nose. She'd _liked_ Lupin. In many ways he'd reminded her of Snape.

But she had no time herself. She and Blaise had gotten Moody's desk. Oh joy!

"Papers. Papers. Homework, _more_ homework."

"Well, what did you expect Blaise?" Alex muttered, sighing. "Admissions of guilt to a dozen murders? Anything worth copying?"

"Yeah. Just those."

"I got it." Almost before the spell word was out of her mouth Snape's voice filled her ears.

"Very well. I will inform my students."

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Draco! She threw a balled scrap of parchment at him. It hit in the back of his head and he whirled, eyes blazing.

"The spell!" she mouthed, gesturing at the office door. It was still closed. "We have to Go!"

Clutching her copies in one hand Alex's other arm was grabbed by Blaise who hauled her out of the room.

"I was coming anyway, Blaise!" she snapped in the relative safety of a hallway two away from the classroom. "And what about the desk-"

"I had already put everything back."

"And Draco! If he gets caught-"

"Now why would I do that?" Alex fumed at being cut off twice in two sentences, but the sight of all three other boys lifted a weight of worry.

"Draco…!"

"Oh by the way, I have another reason why we should do this…not that we need one."

"Really?" Alex's curiosity killed her anger, for the moment.

"After you left, as we moved to the door we heard Moody say, and I quote, "One of these days, Severus, we'll finish what we started when I gave you that scar on your arm." Moody is after Snape!"

"You were wrong, Draco. We need this one. With this, if we need, we can get any other Slytherin to help. And besides it gives me the right to say this!" And with that Alex proceeded to give lie to the idea that Ladies had clean mouths, calling Moody the longest, foulest string of insults she could think of.

"Well…" Blaise said, blinking, after she'd finished. "_that_ was informative. Tell me Alex, can you really _do_ some of that?"

"How would I know? I'm a Lady."

"Yeah you keep thinking that, Lex."

Meanwhile, standing frozen Draco was cracking up hysterically. "Might I suggest," he gasped around breaths, "that we continue this in Common Room?"

"Boy has a point. Onward to count the spoils." Alex marched off, dragging Blaise as he had dragged her only moments before.

"I have _got_ to know where she learned some of that." Vince said in awe, following her.

"From me." Draco flashed his friends a grin at their surprise. "Oh come now. What else do you think we talked about on the long walk back from Moody's house?"

* * *

.

As it turned out the "spoils" weren't much. A few more lists, each as useless as the one found in Moody's bedroom, a couple of other random papers and a letter from an unknown potion's emporium telling him that they couldn't have his order ready until next month.

The stuff Draco had gotten was both better and worse. Better, because they didn't know that it was mostly worthless, but worse because, to be blunt, they didn't have a clue what it was.

"It" was a strange machine, device thing. Draco had only gotten a passing look at it and, while he did manage to cast a copy spell, only got a three dimensional picture of the thing.

It _looked_ mysterious and possibly important…but for all they knew it made his morning coffee.

"Dammit! Damn! It! I want him _here_!" Alex jabbed a finger at her own palm, her hands clenching unconsciously into fists. "But we have _nothing_! Less than nothing, because if we're caught with this stuff we're done for. Damn it all!"

Draco sighed, rubbing his eyes. "How's your contact doing with his Ministry records?"

"No go yet. Moody was an Auror, I can't just _ask_ for them. Plus I'm going about this without my parents' influence…or permission for that matter. What about yours?"

"Same, same and exactly right. Without my parents pushing on them…well they aren't nearly as _inspired_ to help me."

"Can't you just ask you parents?" Greg asked. Unknown to his friends his home was normal…esque.

"No!" they both shouted at once, drawling the attention of their Housemates.

"No." Alex repeated softly. "I hate to say it like this but if you can even ask that question then you couldn't begin to imagine…"

"We can't." It was all they'd get out of Draco.

The clock on the wall calmly informed the masses that it was dinner time. They all stood, but Alex moved away from the group.

"I'm not hungry. Plus I have a carriage-load of homework."

"Alex…" Vince looked concerned at her.

"Come on." Blaise said softly. "Let's go. I'll bring you something back Lex."

"Thanks."

"De nada."

"Show off." Gathering up the evidence Alex went up to her room. She decided that she had a headache and shut all the blinds. Sitting on her bed in the dark she sank into dark thoughts of past wrong and future revenge.

* * *

.

A/N: I don't know why I ended it so dark. Heck I don't know why I do half of what I do when I'm writing. It's all instinct and, "Yeah that should go _that_ way." (I also don't kno why Balise can speak a little spanish. Maybe it's because half the chefs at the restaurant do. :shrug:)

Anyways, you all know the drill. I'll see you next Monday and don't forget to go check out the pics in my profile.


	32. Nightmares

A?N: Hello folks. I have officially fixed my picture links in my profile. I seems the old links had percentage signs or somethign in them that the format automatically deletes. Yuck. But I moved the pictures and renamed some thing so, as long as your computer is okay with it, they should all work. I tested them myself.

Also, a thought for the day, would any of you believe that I procrastinate all week and then sit down every Sunday afternoon and pump out the next Bellmotne chapter in one sitting? Cause I do. I am massively lazy. And that's enough thinking for today.

Disclaimer(I should put these in more often): Harry Potter...owns himself. I do not condone slavery. And as for Draco and everyone else, well they don't belong to me either. More the pity.

* * *

.

"I'm not in the mood, Franklin! We are not discussing it."

"She's eight. You of all people know what she'll have to try and live up to. We should have a backup plan! We should have another-"

"You're right. I know what she has to prove…but _I_ am the true Bellmonte here, Franklin. We have only one line, no secondary branches of the Family. If Alexandria doesn't survive the tests, _then_ you may speak to me about another child."

His deep green eyes narrowed and the tall, strong man that was her father turned his back to his wife. With powerful strides, he crossed to the door and slammed it open.

Alex, who'd had her face pressed to the wood, peering through the thin crack between the double doors, skidded across the marble floor. She gasped in pain and clutched at her nose, which was now streaming blood.

"Alexandria!" There was as much exasperation as fury in her father's voice. "How many times have we told you not to spy on us!"

Alex tried to breath around the taste of blood in her mouth.

"What's happening, Franklin?" Deana had appeared in the doorway.

"Alexandria has a bloody nose." Franklin covered the space between them and took her face in his hands. His fingers cautiously probed the offending attribute.

Alex whimpered.

"It isn't broken, but…." He yanked her chin up and forced her mouth open. "It would seem she's also bitten her tongue."

"You're becoming quite a nuisance, Alexandria. You've gotten blood all over my floor. Come with me." Deana grabbed Alex's wrist, pulling her to her feet and out of her father's grip. The older woman strode off impatiently. "Go think about what you've done."

A door was opened and Deana yanked Alex in front of her, so that she stumbled through. The heavy downpour immediately began the simple process of soaking her.

"You'll be fetched when you may come back in," her mother said seriously.

Alex nodded. Her father shut the door with a quiet thud.

Alex flipped over, spitting hair out of her mouth.

"Alexandria, it is time you had a pet."

Alex glanced up from her potion, wondering how much time this would take. She had only a few minutes until she needed to add…. Her mother's words sank in. "A pet?"

"Two, in fact." Deana stepped forward and held up her hands.

Alex shrank back, her gaze flickering between the asp gracing her mother's left hand and the tarantula gracing her right. "I-I…."

"They will remain on your person for the next two weeks. You've got charge of them."

"I see."

"Do you? For the next two weeks these lovelies must remain in contact with your skin twenty-four hours a day. You will feed and do whatever is necessary to care for them. They have not had their venom removed. If they feel in anyway threatened, hungry or any of a dozen other things, they'll bite you. I assure you, it's quite deadly."

Alex swallowed and held out her hands.

"I want that potion on time as well."

"Yes, mother."

Her moan was low and muffled.

The coast was clear; Alex sighed in relief. Inching her way along the rooftop until she came to the apex, Alex took a deep breath and swung her leg up and over. She stopped and shifted her weight, as she'd been taught in her riding lessons, until she found her balance.

Once that was assured, she moved forward with her mission. All she needed to do was reach the far chimney and…. The roof tile her right foot had braced against moved. Alex glanced down at it in horror, but it continued to slide, taking her foot and her balance with it. Alex fought desperately, making a grab for a hand hold. She had one…she had it…she….

With the sharp pain of scraped skin and a lost nail, the ten year old felt herself falling. It was nothing like she thought it would be. There was no painful tumbling, just a fast, sharp slide on her side as she watched the edge approach. It came far too soon and then she was plummeting through the air, trying to grab for her wand.

Alex landed with a crunch, a thud and a scream.

Everything faded into a haze until her mother appeared above her, wand out.

"Why did you scream?" she demanded, scanning the area, as if for enemies.

"I-" Alex croaked, "I fell."

Deana's sharp gaze flew to the roof and she frowned.

"Well," she said at last, "your leg looks broken, as does your collar bone and probably a few ribs. Nothing fatal though…" her eyes narrowed, "which means you're a _lucky_ idiot."

"Mother…." Alex knew she'd messed up…big, and she knew better than to try it again. She tried to put all that into her voice, hoping her mother would lecture her after she healed her. Almost every other time she'd been willing to.

"No." The word was firm.

Alex's eyes flew open in shock. "Wh-"

"You're ten. You've been training for years. You'll be going off to Hogwarts soon. You can clean this up yourself. You _should_ know how."

As she walked away, Alex turned over, fighting the shortness of breath, the pain and the nausea, and began to trace a pattern in her own blood. With any luck she wouldn't pass out more than once before she finished.

Alex kicked out and dimly heard a thud as her comforter hit the floor.

"You really think so?" Smiling with just a hint of shyness, Alex smoothed her hand over the skirt of her gown. Only of late had she filled out enough to wear dresses reminiscent of her mother's wardrobe.

"I would never lie to a lady…but you look a little flushed, Miss Alex."

"I…I am, a little," Alex stuttered as her awareness clicked on.

It was a dream.

She didn't have this memory to relive when she was awake. It only came to her in her dreams…and even then, she never saw his face.

"Perhaps a stroll along the balcony will help you." He was all kind refinement.

One part of her mind classified him as upper merchant class, but it made little difference. She would probably never know the name of the only person she'd ever killed.

If it wasn't a sign of weakness, she would have told her parents. Between them, they would've been able to find a cure….

"It is a kind offer. I couldn't think of refusing."

"Dammit!" Alex hissed between clenched teeth, shivering as the cold night air hit her sweat soaked skin. Not all of the details in her nightmares were accurate…but enough were, and once she started dreaming, she didn't stop, not for weeks usually. The lesser ones at first, and then down the spiral 'til…. "Dammit!"

She rubbed her hands viciously over the back of her neck and dug her nails into the skin under her hair.

"Mmmmm…" she whimpered, moving with the nervous energy inspired by adrenaline. Struggling out of her mattress, Alex hissed again as her feet hit stone floor. The shock was enough to stir her from her emotional haze and back into thought.

And the one thing she thought was absolute: Sleep was out of the question. Feeling around the top of her trunk at the end of her bed for her robe Alex knocked a thick book with her wrist.

"Damn." She dove for it and managed to catch it before it hit the floor and woke her dorm mates. "Well, I can't stay here."

Setting the book on the area rug, Alex opened her trunk and dug out a certain satchel. Might as well get some of her "Special" homework done, since she had the time. She'd been neglecting it worse than her schoolwork lately.

* * *

.

The Slytherin Common Room was attractive to her just then in a way that no non-Slytherin could ever understand. It was an island, a refuge and a highly defensible fortress all at once…but also a place you need never fight for. You could _breathe_ in here. Relax in a way impossible almost everywhere else.

In the middle of a cold night, where sleep brought even colder things to light, the empty tables, chairs and furniture, all lit by the warmly crackling fire both made Alex want to burst into tears and kept her from needing to.

If you ever asked her what her home was she would've answered "Bellmonte Manor" instantly…but if you asked her to describe what the word home meant, this room would have taken shape in your mind.

Shivering, Alex walked into the circle of warmth and headed towards a favorite chair. All black leather and elegantly overstuffed for comfort.

Halfway there a low growl stopped her in her tracks. Who? What? She whirled towards the sound and almost laughed in relief.

Off in one corner, so she couldn't be seen from most of the room was a harassed looking Tania Dethart, sitting in the middle of a small sprawl of junk, glaring into her trunk.

The growl had come into being in response to the annoyance that spread over the thin face. This time Alex couldn't help herself,(maybe she _was_ getting hysterical), she laughed.

Tania did the expected. She jerked up, spotted Alex and froze.

"Hi, Tania." Alex changed her destination and moved to join the other girl. "Sorry about laughing. But the look on your face…I'm guessing a Project isn't going the way you've planned?"

Something in her words or manner must have struck the right cord because Tania reverted back from "Statue Tania".

"No. Uh…I mean you're right." She said, her tone thick with the annoyance of a moment earlier.

Alex ignored both the tone and Tania's reaction, for the silly girl was sure to think Alex would take insult from it. Instead she dropped her bag onto a nearby couch and asked, "Do you mind if I join you for a bit? I have some extra work I need to get done…_out_ of sight."

"Of course." It was graciously said, even as Tania glanced protectively at her things.

Alex smiled. "Never fear, my dear. I won't peek at your notes…though if you _do_ need some help with whatever it is in your trunk that has you stumped feel free to ask."

"Thank you." Tania refused politely, turning back to her trunk.

It was around then that Alex realized how much she liked Tania. Something about the girl had completely drained her of all the stress and fear left behind by the nightmares. It had snapped her back form the emotion faster than anyone but Blaise had ever managed…not that that many people had ever helped her overcome a nightmare, even unknowingly.

Hmm…she'd have to do something about Tania's stupid brother though, if they were to become actual friends. Well, something to ponder, but not when she had work to do.

Pulling open both Pain and her notes on the book so far, Alex settled in for a long night.

"Oh, bloody blustering…" the rest of the swear faded away, even though, looking up, Alex still saw Tania's mouth moving.

What _was_ she working on? And what did her trunk have to do with it, empty and propped up on end like it was?

Somehow she didn't think it was the nice leather stitching. Maybe there was a secret compartment…but why put in a Muggle thing like that? You could just ward a portion of the Wizarding Space, and besides, if it _was_ a hidden compartment there was a simple spell to find them.

Thoughts of this nature distracted her for a while, even though her gaze remained on the pages before her. But then something crazy and unthinkable happened.

Tania coughed. "Umm…Miss Bellmonte…?"

Alex obligingly pulled her nose from her book.

"I-I…I…umm…if you have a moment…perhaps you could help me with something?" As she finished Tania blushed fiercely. But, Alex noted, mostly out of humiliation. She doesn't like to ask for help.

Then she did a mental double take…_Tania Dethart_ just asked for help! Has the world ended without my knowing? Will a Weasley be Sorted in Slytherin next!

"If I'm not interrupting…"

"Not at all, Tania." Alex affected an elderly air, "You're too young to know the value of interruption."

The only reaction she got was a low snort, which may have been amusement.

"Anyway," Alex slid off the couch and grinned. "what're we working on?"

Tania made a small motion, aborted almost as soon as it was begun but Alex recognized it and laughed silently at the mental image of Tania diving protectively over her research.

"Never fear," she repeated from earlier, "I give you my most solemn promise and a Bellmonte and Slytherin that anything related to or involved with your Project that is discussed will never go beyond us two. Furthermore I swear that I will personally torture anyone trying to steal or use your work without your permission. And besides, "Alex shrugged lightly, "you don't have to tell me _why_ you need the information you're asking about."

Her exaggerated melodrama did the trick and Tania relaxed again. "I want to know everything you know about Wizarding Space." Tania stated.

Alex blinked. "Do you know how long it'll take to get through all of it?" she asked, then frowned a little. "We can do it that way, but, I'd hate to waste your time covering things you already know. If you could give me a tiny little hint as to what you're looking for…well, it'd all go much faster."

Tania scowled, but not at Alex directly. Smoke almost poured from her ears as she thought. Alex just waited.

"Okay." And with that one word Tania agreed to let Alex have a glimpse. "What do you know about the formation of Wizarding Space?"

"Making it? Umm…well, supposedly the original owners of Never-Ending came across the perfect formula, which has remained a closely guarded secret ever since. But I find it unlikely as there are reports of things that could only have taken place thanks to Wizarding Space from long before the store existed.

"I _do_ know that the amount of space per inch ratio in the Never-Ending inventory is vastly higher than most normal shops…which is what makes it so expensive. In fact…" Alex scrambled up over the couch and grabbed her satchel. "Here, look at that. It's a birthday gift from my parent. A Never-Ending. I've fit most of the contents of my trunk in there before."

Tania obediently took the bag and stuck her hand in it. After a second she pulled it back out looking impressed. But then her eyes sharpened again. "What did you mean by 'space per inch ratio'?"

"Oh!" Alex looked over in surprise. "Well, you can't create something from nothing even with magic, especially not on this magnitude. What happens is they take existing space, such a as bag or a trunk and use magic to stretch and expand it. So, your trunk isn't any bigger but it can hold more per inch than it could originally."

Tania nodded slowly, understanding dawning over her face. "Which means it's not a separate area attached to the trunk to keep it in the physical but just the trunk itself!"

"Does that help at all?" Alex asked, knowing it did and that Tania was going to dive into a new round of crazed research.

"Mm-hmm." She muttered, already neck deep inside trunk.

"If you like I'll clear out my bag and you can have it, either for research or to store your stuff while you work on your trunk." Alex offered, stubbornly refusing to be shoved out just yet. She didn't _want_ to go back to her own work yet. It didn't seem nearly as interesting as whatever Tania was doing.

Tania pulled herself back out and stared at Alex. "You…? Oh, I couldn't. You need it to-"

"No, not really. I have other book bags, and I'll be deep in this particular text for weeks and won't need any of my other references. Here." Alex grabbed the thing off the floor and stared pulling things out of it.

By the time she'd gotten to the top of her third pile of books Tania's eyes were round.

"Heh. You know maybe I'll clear it out and let you have it tomorrow."

"Alright."  
"Good." The pile disappeared more rapidly than they'd shown up. "I'd hate to have to carry all that upstairs."

Looking from the empty table to the satchel Alex suddenly frowned. "What was I doing?"

"Your book?" Tania pointed helpfully.

"Oh yeah. Thanks."

But Tania was already lost to the world again and Alex followed her example, dropping back into her place on the couch.

* * *

.

A/N: So I just realized that the whole thing was only two scenes, almost one really...but it's was long enough right? Well, I hope so.

Next Chapter: The first Challenge (okay show of hands, who forgot this was in the middle of the TriWizard Tourney?)


	33. First Task

A/N: Alright I know that the Dungeon Duel(see the Weighing of the Wands chapter) happened probably before my little adventure to Moody's house according to the book's timeline, but I completely forgot about it until now and as I like it and want to explain it I'm going to put it in now…unless you want me to go back and cover it properly. But that would mean I'd clutter up your email Inboxes because I'd have to take down maybe 5-10 chapters post the new one and then put them all back up.

* * *

. 

I'm thinking no on wants that. So just go with it.

"What are you getting so upset about?" Blaise demanded, giving Draco a look. "It was poor Greg who got boils in the face."

"Damn right it was." Greg muttered in annoyance.

"Yes but it's not right. Why should I get punished? Potter pulled his wand on me first." Draco protested.

"You were wearing _that_," Blaise wrinkled his nose as he pointed to Draco's _POTTER STINKS_ badge, "and calling his best friend a mudblood. What was he going to do? Ask you out for tea?"

"Who's asking Draco for tea?" Alex breezed into the group from the stairs. "Harry Potter?"

"Yep." Blaise grinned. "They're planning on starting a business selling signed photos of the two of them snogging. They'll both be rich in a week and can retire comfortably."

"They're both rich _now_ and could certainly retire if they wanted to." She sipped from the steaming mug in her hand. "Ah, I see you're keeping up your usual level of wit, Draco. Please tell me those annoying things aren't your idea."

"What?" Draco looked downright disgusted. "This thing," he pulled at his badge, "not a chance. We got them from the Hufflepuffs. Now _they_ are pissed off by all of this."

"I can imagine." Greg put in.

"But do you really want to rub it in poor Potter's face like that?" Alex asked, taking another drink.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Poor Potter? Since when?"

"Well," she smiled reasonably. "he couldn't have done it himself could he? I mean his own friends are abandoning him for not admitting he did it. He'd never lie to them if he had. Thus, it follows that someone is trying to kill him. So yes. Poor Harry Potter."

Draco blinked to hear his own thoughts so closely repeated. He looked over at Blaise in time to see him throw Alex a strange glance she didn't appear to notice.

"What are you children still doing out here?" Professor Flitwick looked surprised at the gathering that filled the front hall. "Classes will begin in moments. I suggest you all get going."

As he left the more obedient students started walking, with a few dashing in horror towards dorms and forgotten books.

"You heard the man!" Alex linked arms with Blaise. "Onward to Transfigurations."

"Yeah I guess." Greg muttered. He wasn't on good terms with Professor McGonagall these days.

"You heard the woman!" Draco exclaimed in parody of Alex. "Onward to Transfigurations!"

And if he saw the exasperated looks he cronies exchanged over his head he didn't let on.

* * *

. 

"You should all know the theory by now." Draco noticed that the Head of Gryffindor couldn't help by glance minutely at Greg as she spoke. He chuckled silently.

"This is no harder or more complicated than anything else we've been practicing this year. There will be only one slight difference. You will each get to choose what you will be changing you animal into. Write whatever you choose on a piece of paper and pass them to the front before you begin."

The entire room fell utterly silent as each student fell to hard thinking. It was obvious that each wanted to create something awesome, but also something they could actually manage. Draco himself was no exception.

His first inclination was to change the scrambling guinea pig into a snake. But Transfiguring one animal into another of a different species was hard. If he managed, which he had little doubt he could, it would prove that he had been studying ahead. _A lot_ ahead.

On the other hand any kind of edged weapon was out. People viewed him as too much of a threat as it was, curse of the Malfoy name and his father's legacy. But a really nice dagger, one with a snake etched into it...Draco shook his head sharply. Too bad.

But then he had it and his paper went fluttering into the basket on Professor McGonagall's desk. It would be great fun. And it would take more than one Transfiguration to do so he would be busy the entire lesson as opposed to being bored for the second half as he waited for the rest of the class to finish.

A motion behind him caught his attention and he turned to catch Alex setting down her mug. He frowned. How the heck had she managed to sneak that into class? And why had she gone through the trouble?

She felt his gaze and looked up with a smile. That clinched it as far as Draco was concerned. Something was up with her. All of a sudden she looked over his shoulder in alarm and gestured for him to turn around.

He did just in time to catch his guinea pig from escaping over the edge of the desk. Draco decided to proceed with his first Transfiguration before anything else. After the first step at least the thing wouldn't be able to move.

Moments of quiet spell casting and one scream later, it seemed someone had managed to turn their mouse into pure flame, he was ready to move on to Step Two.

"Umm, pretty Draco."

Draco grinned. Greg, it seemed, was procrastinating. "Why yes it is. Pity I'm not done yet."

"Oh?" Greg feigned interest well. "You mean you're going to turn the crystal into something? What?"

"None of your business, and if you don't finish this assignment you'll never know."

Greg frowned in annoyance but turned back to his own petrified rat.

Step Two was only slightly harder than One, it would be Three and Four that would take up all of his class time. Fixing the mental image of the dragon he wanted in his mind he only Transfigured the shape of the clear, diamond-like crystal while keeping it basically the same.

Draco found himself humming quietly. This was one of the funnest things he'd done all year. Leaning forward he began the Third step. He was going to transfigure bits of the crystal dragon into different colored crystal of the same shape.

"Wings, silver veined, black sailed. Neck and Back ridges black. Claws and fangs, silver. Scales green." He chose thinking over his color options rapidly. After another second he decided to start with the scales. That was the biggest area the rest was detail work.

Focusing his mind he began to recite the correct spell...

"_Alex!_" Blaise's yell, the sound of chairs banging to the floor and muffled screams from the other students snapped his concentration, messing up the spell. He whirled, temporarily ignoring the mess to find a stunned Alex on her feet, dripping in horror.

"What happened?" she asked Blaise, bewildered.

"I-" he shook his head even as Professor McGonagall descended on them.

An efficient wave of her wand banished the bloody remains of Alex's rabbit. The spell did nothing for the blood spattered girl though.

"You were trying to make a metal goblet. So what exactly did you do?" the Professor asked.

"She'd turned it into the goblet," Blaise spoke up when Alex seemed at a loss. "silver of course, and was starting to etch her family crest into it went it exploded."

"The first transfiguration didn't stick." Alex said suddenly. "I could feel it fail even as I cast the etching spell. It changed back and my spell tried to etch the animal."

The only eloquence the rest of the class could manage was a Ravenclaw girl grimacing with a shuddering, "Eww."

"I see. You are excused to clean up Miss Bellmonte. You needn't return to class but you will be expected to turn in the homework the same as everyone else."

"Yes Professor." Alex reached out and scooped up her book bag and her mug, both which were now as bloody as Alex herself, before heading out the door.

Draco sighed and turned back to his crystal figure. Instead of the Slytherin green scales, just under the surface of the crystal was a rolling red splash. It looked, Draco thought, almost like fire under the skin.

He spent the rest of class changing minute bits of the red to achieve that effect even better.

* * *

. 

Alex rejoined them near the end of lunch, slipping onto the end of the bench unobtrusively. Blaise looked over at her but, as she was several students away, could do no more than wave a greeting.

At the head table Dumbledore stood. "Teachers, students and esteemed guests. Today is the day of the First Task for the Triwizard Tournament and now is the time. Once you have finished your meals please proceed outside and to the stands in an orderly fashion."

It was unlikely that anyone ate more than another couple of bites after that, a low level buzz filling the huge room. Determined to be one of the first, but with an indolent air that belayed that fact, Draco got up and headed for the door. There were only a few other students doing likewise and the teachers had yet to leave their table.

He made it outside in good time, several feet ahead of anyone else before he heard rapidly approaching footsteps. A large group by the sound of it.

Draco glanced over his shoulder and smiled. It _was_ a large group. Or rather a group of two large people. Apparently he'd managed to pull one over on Greg and Vince for once.

As they approached the newly erected stands Draco grinned. He was the first to arrive...

"Care to join us Draco?" Blaise smiled pleasantly from the best seats in the place.

"_How_ did you manage that?" Vince demanded starting up the stairs.

Alex flipped a galleon into the air, caught it and slipped it into her pocket. "Shortcut."

"Was that...?" Draco began.

"Of course."

"And you used one to come here?"

Alex just shrugged at him. "It's not like I can't make more."

Draco felt himself freeze on the last step to their row, halfway up the stands exactly in the middle. She knew how to _make_ PortKeys!

Greg braced himself on the bench and surveyed the dirt ring. He frowned. "I think I want to be closer to the action. Crabbe?"

"Hmm. I doubt anything that dangerous will come anywhere near us. I'm all for moving. Draco?"

"I value my skin far too much to risk it on "there shouldn't"s. Sorry." He shrugged and took a seat.

Greg and Vince made their way to the first row as the rest of the school first trickled then flooded into the small stadium.

"So, what do you think we'll be watching?" Blaise leaned back on his seat and stretched.

"I dunno." Alex replied ingeniously. "The claw marks could be from any number of large predators."

"Claw marks?" and now that she'd pointed them out Draco noticed them, scoring the ground near a large gate at one end of the oval. He stood temporarily to get a better view over the milling crowd and then sat down abruptly. "_Those_," he said in something akin to awe, "are not just any claw marks. Those are dragon marks."

Blaise leaned forward in interest. "_Really_?"

"No." Draco deadpanned.

Alex laughed at his joke, earning raised eyebrows from both boys. She shrugged it off taking a deep drink out of her mug.

Draco frowned. It was the exact same mug from breakfast, from Transfigurations, minus the blood, and then from lunch. What _was_ she drinking! A nasty suspicion formed itself in the back of Draco's mind.

"Oh hey, I see Tania getting trampled. I'll be right back." Blaise said suddenly standing and wading into the chaos.

"Bye." Alex called.

"Mind if I have a sip?" Draco asked, gracefully swiping the mug before she could register his words. He took a ginger swallow and froze, blinking rapidly to clear the tears from his eyes.

During the moment of stun Alex snatched back her mug. "_Draco...!_"

"Damn, Alex! That stuff is _strong_!" Draco coughed, trying to clear the lingering taste of hot chocolate and a harsh stimulant from his mouth.

"It's an acquired taste!" she snapped back, a clear fire shining angrily in her eyes.

Draco suddenly realized he hadn't seen her angry like this in days. She'd been a little too happy all the time lately. _Or a little too out of it_. A voice whispered in his head. _Like when you use stimulants in place of sleep too many days in a row._

"So," he said conversationally, "how did you 'acquire' this taste?"

She started to glare at him but her gaze faltered and softened around the edges. Alex shivered and Draco realized her hair was wet in it's normal braid. It was already deeply cold anyway. He frowned and cast a warming spell on the benches under them then on his outer robes.

"Alex..." Draco trailed off.

She replied anyway, a tired note entering her otherwise controlled voice. "What, Draco?"

"Why are you substituting Stims for sleep? And why that one in particular? It's one of the strongest and most dangerous."

"Second question first, I use this particular Stim potion because nothing less works for me anymore. And as for the other-' she cut herself off, looking over his shoulder.

"_Alex_..." he said warningly.

"Later," she snapped lifting her arm to wave at an approaching Blaise. Her arm bumped his shoulder as she did. At some point, probably when his robes had started giving off heat, she'd inched closer to him until she'd taken Blaise's seat.

"Later," Draco promised, shifting to let Blaise passed. He didn't comment on the seat change as he slid into his new position. He was also currently Tania-less.

"Her brother had already found her before I got there." Blaise explained, though no one had asked. "Yes _Hunter_, not Falon, Lex."

"Welcome, Welcome, _WELCOME_!" Ludo Bagman thundered suddenly from his place next to the judges box. "Welcome to the First Challenge of this Triwizard Tournament! How are you all doing today?"

There was a round of applause that was more interested than excited but it seemed to satisfy the man. He grinned and continued.

"Now before we bring out the first Champion I should explain what is it you'll be watching. Each Champion will come into the ring in a randomly selected order. It will be their task to retrieve one of these large golden eggs!" he gestured broadly at the four eggs gleaming quietly on the table. "What they don't know is this: Guarding the eggs from all but the bravest is a fearsome, fire-breathing _DRAGON_!"

The crowd all froze and gasped with appropriate amounts of horror. Bagman grinned again.

"They will be judged by Mr. Crouch, Madame Maxine, headmasters Dumbledore and Karkaroff and, of course, myself." As he introduced them each judge inclined his or her head from their seat. "But no more ado. Onward to the first Champion!"

Somewhere a shrill whistle blew and a large blue-gray dragon was let into the ring where, during Bagman's speech, a nest of eggs including one gold one, had been set up. A moment later, before the dragon had even settled a terrified but determined Cedric Diggory stepped into the ring.

Almost instantly the dragon lunged forward, hissing at the trespasser.

"Swedish short-snout." Draco heard himself muttered to his two companions. "Notoriously territorial."

"Aren't all dragons?" Blaise asked rhetorically.

"Oh narrow miss there. Very narrow." Bagman commented as Cedric dodged and rolled backward into the door. Standing with his back to it he waited until the dragon was practically on top of him before diving aside again. It ran full on into the door.

"He's taking risks this one!" an edge of excitement filled the words.

From the ring Cedric shouted something incomprehensible to the crowd and a nearby rock turned into a Labrador.

"Scat!" he shouted scaring the dog to the right as he began racing left. The dragon snarled at the newest enemy, following it in preparation to attack long enough for Cedric to get most of the way across the ring to the nest.

But apparently he got too close, and apparently the dragon was more flexible than he'd thought. It's head snapped around and blistering fire raked along the side of the Hogwarts' Champion as his hands closed around the golden egg.

"_Clever _movePity it didn't work." Bagman responded blithely as six men in matching robes raced into the ring and stunned the dragon. Several Professors, namely the four Heads of House appeared behind them and escorted the injured boy off the field and, presumably, into a hospital tent.

"Nice bit of transfiguration." Blaise said with the air of someone who knew as Cedric's score was posted. "Ouch, looks like that injury really hurt him...or rather him _and_ his score."

Draco agreed, feeling a momentary flash of sympathy for the burned boy. He could honestly say he knew what that felt like. But a new nest, a new golden egg and another whistle all happened killing the emotion.

The gorgeous, glamorous, magically-enhanced Fleur took the place Cedric had left. She wasted no time, beginning immediately she glided up to the beast.

"Oh I'm not sure that's wise." Bagman declared from his bench.

She wove her hands and her wand in a complex motion, whispering to herself as she did so. For a long, terrifying second nothing happened, then the Welsh Green's head began to droop.

It seemed half-asleep and it was certainly ignorant of her as Fleur edged around it and approached the nest. But the eggs were halfway under the dragon, it having not moved off the nest. She stood on her tiptoes and stretched towards the golden egg. Her fingers hooked on one end and-

"Oh...nearly!" Bagman's shout made her drop it. "Careful now..."

His noise also startled the dragon. It snorted in irritation and the flames caught the edge of the Champion's skirt. A string of what could only have been French swears echoed over the stadium as she doused her skirt with her wand.

"Good lord, I thought she'd had it then! But not this girl."

Shooting Bagman a scathing glance the french girl viciously _Accio_-ed the egg to her and the round was over. Her scores came and went, just a little higher than Cedric's, as did the set up for the next Champion.

"Chinese." Draco classified. "A fireball I think."

The scarlet dragon fixed the crowd with a hard look, as if it were trying to decide if it could eat them all in one meal or not.

Krum came in at the whistle and, just like Fleur, began immediately. But his plan didn't work nearly as well. He shot a spell at it's face, striking it in the eye.

The dragon froze for just a second before it began to howl in pain. In it's agony whipped around the floor, coming dangerously close to the front rows and trampling half of its own eggs. He had to dance and weave wildly to avoid the maddened beast.

But Krum got the egg and the dragon tamers rushed it, one in particular with flaming red hair, casting a healing spell on it even before s stunning spell.

His score was an even 40. Some of the crowd hissed as he exited though.

"Nasty thing to do to a dragon." Draco snapped, glaring at the retreating boy. "A Conjunctivitus curse is no laughing matter in general, and to be winning because of it..."

"Just because he got the egg the fastest so far." Blaise agreed.

"So," Alex said, smiling slightly, "are you going to join me in hoping Potter wins this one?"

"Damn right." Draco covered his badge with his robes.

"And last but never least the famous Harry Potter!" Bagman yelled.

And Harry Potter joined the Hungarian Horntail in the ring. The match began as Harry shouted something but then he just stood there. What was going on?

Had Potter finally snapped?

Draco hoped not, but then it would be just like the wonderful "Boy-who-lived" to go nuts at the worst possible time.

But it seemed he hadn't, he was just waiting and his broom sudden zoomed into view breaking the silence. Draco grinned. He hadn't know Potter was smart enough to play to his strengths like that.

Launching himself onto the Firebolt Harry zoomed into the air, capturing the dragon's attention. As she lurched at him he swerved into a tight spiral, emerging at exactly the right place to beginning another sweep.

Bagman was, as always, commenting. "Great Scott, he can fly! Are you watching this Mr. Krum?"

It was unlikely any of the other Champions weren't, Draco mused. Not with the noises of horror and excitement coming from the rest of the crowd right now.

What Potter's strategy was became clear in just another minute as he began to lure the dragon up off her nest. He got a little too close on only one pass, earning him a minor cut, before succeeding. With a easy dive he swooped in to grab the egg.

"Look at that! Will you look at that! Our youngest Champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

"I'll say." Alex muttered. And a few minutes later, when his score was revealed the crowd went nuts.

Harry Potter was tied for first with an even 40 points!

* * *

. 

A/N: Hmm. Nothing else to say except this: there will be a little Draco/Alex relationship development in the next chapter. According to my chapter list(which I had lost but I just re-found YAY!) they don't officially "date" until later this spring. I'm not sure if I'll keep it that way though.

Review.

Oh yeah. PS: Have the chapters been long enough? Cause I can start combining them if I need too.


	34. Studies

A/N: The perfect pure blood song, just cause I have nothing else to say. "Hit the Floor" - Linkin Park, Meteora

* * *

. 

"Well, if I may be so cliché as to say it…" Draco joked quietly.

Alex, for her part, jumped out of her skin. Her face was bleach white as she whirled towards the new sound.

"…it's later?" he finished, putting his hands up in mute appeal against the wand currently pointed at his heart. For a long moment neither of them moved, then she snapped out of it, pocketing the wand and gasping for breath.

"Draco!"

"Merlin Alexandria! What the hell is wrong with you!" He almost asked her what she was so afraid of, but his good sense got the better of him. It was only the Stims making her so jumpy. An extended overdose of adrenaline would do that to anyone.

She swallowed hard and glanced around; but Draco had chosen his timing well. They were entirely alone in one of the dungeons' back hallways.

"I…" Alex hesitated then clenched her hands together. "You can't tell anyone about this Draco."

"Why?" he asked cautiously.

"Because I'm calling in your Blood Debt Thanks!" she flared.

"Oh." Draco had a sudden sinking feeling. What was she doing? What was _he_ getting into? Why the hell was he sticking his nose in? _Because she's a Slytherin._

Of course.

"Draco….I'm failing." Alex's hesitant statement reclaimed his attention. "I can't hold it together and I'm failing all of my classes!" A cough that almost covered a sob echoed in his ears.

Somewhere, abstractly, Draco felt a headache begin to form….but it did all make perfect sense now. Stress from home, from the Moody Project and probably from a dozen other sources she'd never talk about had conspired to distract her just when she hit new material. Because, as intensive as their homeschooling was, they still very much needed to attend Hogwarts.

Draco himself had had the same issues with some of his classes last year and Greg and Vince had tutored him through it.

Well, if this was a matter of pride he'd keep silent for her(Draco resolutely ignored the binding of the Debt of Honor) and if no one else could know…he sighed softly.

"I'll help you."

Alex froze. "W-what?"

"I _said_, 'I will help you' Alex." Draco repeated slowly. "You don't want to know what kind of score I almost got in Charms last year. Now come on, let's get back to Common room."

"_Why?_"

"Why? So we can both get our books and 'do homework' until the place empties out."

"You know very well that's not what I meant Draco Malfoy!"

He sighed. Sometimes humoring her was more trouble than it was worth. "As I said, you don't want to know what scores I almost got in Charms last year. Besides, if you know and I know and I've been sworn to secrecy then who _else_ is going to get you back up to speed?"

As he watched Draco saw something frantic and suitably desperate fill her. She swallowed hard and tried once more. "we have more important things to do Draco. Like Moody and-"

"Bugger Moody! I won't have you besmirching House honor. Now go back to Common Room and go get your books. March!"

And completely contradicting words with actions Draco gentlemanly offered her his arm and, when she took it, escorted her back down the hall.

* * *

. 

It was forty six minutes past midnight, they'd covered the basics of every subject she was taking and one thing had become entirely too clear to Draco.

Alexandria Bellmonte was lying.

The girl in question stifled a yawn with one hand and leaned across the couch to the small study table for, this time, a tea cup. Draco snatched it before her fingers could close on the handle.

"Not a chance Bellmonte. I don't care how badly you're flunking you _will_ be sleeping tonight." And with a flourish of wand-wielding skills the tea, the powerful stimulants and the cup itself vanished into the fireplace.

Alex's eyes followed it painfully.

"Now, you know I enjoy your presence to help warm cold nights, but the night isn't all that cold Alex." Draco's calm sarcasm was softened to the point of teasing, but even so a mask slid over her face. He frowned in annoyance. Would it ever be possible to step rightly with this girl? What was so very wrong that even the chance to bite his head off went unseen as she delved deeper into her shell?

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Draco." She replied in a voice that would have been biting if it hadn't also been so tired. "I think it is time to remind you that for all your power the Malfoys have yet to purchase Hogwarts and as such it is still my right to be here despite your objections."

Rubbing the back of his neck Draco muttered, "Sweet Merlin," at the ceiling of Common Room.

"What?" she twisted in her seat to look at him.

"You don't have to leave, Alex...but you don't have to lie to me either."

"I'm not lying."

"You're also not behind, lost or confused in or by any of these subjects." He gestured to the texts spread across the table in front of him. "What's the point of all this if you already know it? It's nearly one o'clock in the morning. You're going to disgrace the House tomorrow in your condition. You're very nearly disgracing it now. Go to _sleep_."

"I'd rather not-" Alex spat out far too quickly, and then in a very small voice, "if you don't mind."

Draco's eye widened just a little. "Of course I don't mind." He responded automatically, his mind whirling. Her problem was with sleeping? He'd just thought she'd been staying awake trying to solve a different problem, not that her staying up _was_ the issue.

"Thank you."

"So…hmm…" Draco tapped his fingers on the table top as he tried to think of something to say that they hadn't already covered. "You know I don't like you, right?" he said at last.

Alex froze and turned to gaze into the fire. "Oh really?"

"Quite," he continued 'blithely'. "Because of you I spent an extremely entertaining summer trying to plan my revenge against you. The trick was I couldn't have your parents finding out."

Alex's profile was taut as she asked, "What, exactly, are you seeking revenge for?"

"well, Miss Bellmonte, I was just standing there, trying to be polite," _Ha!_ "and you snubbed me cruelly. What made it worse is that, power-wise, you're one of the few people who can."

"In my defensive," and her tone really was defensive, "I was under a deal of stress at the time. It _was_ my coming- out party."

"Point, but it made for an entertaining summer nonetheless. All my elaborate plots would have sprung into motion as soon as I stepped off the train."

"And have they?" it was barely a whisper but in it was the sound of trust crumbling.

Draco sighed. "Unfortunately for me, and my plans, my father found out about one of my rather idiotic abortive attempts to throw you off balance and made me apologize. I walked into a library and discovered a person unworthy of my hatred. In hindsight I was being something of a git."

Alex laughed, more out of relief than humor at his self-insult. "You came to my home ground and threatened me. I apologize if my reaction insulted."

"It did…and I forgive you."

This time there was real humor in her soft laugh. Her entire posture relaxed and her head fell back against the couch.

"So, Draco, what's your favorite subject?"

"Mine? Easy. Transfigurations."

"Really? Even with McGonagall as Professor?"

"She has an overabundance of Gryffindor traits, I'll admit, but she's fair and she knows what she's talking about."

"True. So, why transfigurations?"

"Because…because it's tricky, complicated, a _challenge_. But everything follows a certain set of rules and once you know what those rules are you can do anything you want badly enough. You can change anything from whatever it is to something different or something better. It's an enormous power to have."

"With just as much responsibility." Alex commented sleepily. "Don't you ever get tired of always having to be responsible for _everything_?"

"I don't know. I get tired, but I've never known what's it's like to _not_ have all this stuff to deal with."

"Mmm."

A silence fell between them, a comfortable easy thing, like your favorite pair of socks right out of the dryer.

"And what's your favorite subject, Lex?" It was, though neither of them where paying enough attention to realize it, the first time he'd ever used her nickname.

"Hmm?" she stirred, yawning. "Oh I don't really have one…maybe History of Magic though."

"_History of Magic_!"

"No thanks to the Professor, but, like it says, 'those who don't know the past are doomed to repeat it'. Which means that us humans haven't changed so very much. Which means that by studying the past we can figure out the now and maybe the future. History explains things to me."

Draco paused and considered her words. The more he thought about it the more sense it made. Alex wanted to know things, it was all that drove her. Well that and survival.

"Hey Alex-" the question died on his lips as he looked over at her. She was curled up against the armrest, fast asleep. A tired grin of triumph took its place and he stood to start gathering up the mounds of textbooks and miles worth of parchment.

He hadn't taken two steps, making it only seconds into her sleep, that it started.

She whimpered.

In pain, in fear, in both, he couldn't tell but moving back to her side he saw that her eyes were flying underneath her eyelids and she was barely breathing.

"Alex?" he reached out a lightly touched her shoulder.

"Please don't!" she begged grabbing his hand in a death grip. "_Please!_ I'll be good!"

Draco felt a sympathetic ache in his chest and even had to fight back a sympathetic wave of memories for a moment. It was all too 'normal' to him.

"Alex. Alex, _wake up_!" he pulled his hand back, lifting her into a sitting position. "Alex!"

She came awake with a wild, violent motion more animal than human and Draco found himself under attack as she desperately tried to escape the couch.

"Alex-come on Lexy _please_!" he yelped on instinct, ineffectually trying to get out of her range with one of his hands still clasped tightly in a deathgrip.

"Draco?" With recognition all the fight left her. "Oh shit!" she shook her head violently and lurched to her feet. "Shit shit shit _shit_! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I...I have to go..."

Alex was halfway across the room before he could even tell his hand was free. Leaving her books behind she was racing for the door. _How could this have happened! She'd been so careful! She'd done everything Right! So how the hell had she fallen asleep in front of Draco!_

"So...which parent was it?" Draco drawled from behind her. Alex froze and turned to see him watching her, a wry, sympathetic, smile curving his lips.

"E-excuse me?" _Oh great, Alex. Really brilliant._

"In your nightmare. Which one was punishing you?"

Alex couldn't bring herself to speak, to admit he was right would only make it worse. Would only make it that much more real.

"It's my father usually," he said after a minute, almost managing to sound casual about it. but he's predictable mad. It's my mother you have to watch out for. She's subtle and sneaky, an all around good Slytherin. And you can never tell when she'll do you in."

"It's..." she swallowed hard, resisting the urge to run from the room. Resisting the equally powerful urge to hold onto him like a lifeline. Somehow not bursting into tears or screams. "It's the other way 'round for me. My mother, you know what makes her mad and you know how she'll respond to you when she is. But m-my father..."

"What?" Draco prompted softly.

"When he's not mad...he's _nice_."

Even as she watched a slow shudder ran the length of Draco Malfoy's body at her words. Alex felt a sudden flash of understanding. Somehow, impossibly, he _knew_. Understood even better than Blaise did what it meant to have two sets of parents inside only one couple. The caring and the cruel.

Inside her own mind she firmly removed Draco from the "borderline acquaintance" list and placed him on the "trusted" list. He'd seen her at her absolute lowest and had merely joined her. It was a sacrifice of an impossible kind for a Slytherin, Alex re-found her seat on the couch.

"My mother," he said, moving over to the table and beginning to stack books. "she likes to buy me stuff. Clothes, books, jewelry, furniture...all sorts of crap. I guess cause she likes to destroy my things in front of me as a punishment and it's more satisfying if she knows how expensive it is."

"Or maybe she just wants to make sure you have enough things to make the rampage worthwhile." Alex suggested softly.

"Yeah. That actually sounds more like her than my idea."

"Mmhmm." She moaned softly sinking lower on the couch and rubbing her forehead. "Merlin Draco. I need to _sleep_. If I don't start soon I really am going to start failing classes."

"I was in Transfigurations today, I entirely believe you." He was silent for a while and Alex twisted her head to get a good look at him.

When he caught her gaze he smiled encouragingly. "I think...I think I have something for you. It's a potion, and no I can't tell you want's in it, but if I promise you that you won't dream would you try it?"

Alex spoke without having to think about it first. "Yes."

He grinned. "I'll be right back." And disappeared up into the boys' dorm.

He was, Alex noted, multitasking as all of his books and papers had gone up with him. He was also, she decided, having nothing else to think about in his absence, being really adorably sweet in a blonde-not-her-type kinda way.

And who the hell said that blondes weren't her type anyway! She'd never _had_ any boyfriends so she sure as heck didn't have a "type" yet!

And why the hell did she care if Draco didn't fall inside her made-up "type"? Just because he was someone she could trust, well okay _and_ who understood her _and_ who put up with her moods _and_ who was undeniably hot _and_ whom she didn't view as a brother...but that didn't mean anything...right?

Alex was still debating if she wanted to selectively ignore this new information when its focus returned. In his hand was a small, mostly empty glass vial at the end of a gold-ish chain.

"Here. It tastes vile, and yes pun very intended as it's the best joke I could come up with this late at night, but I promise you it does work." He handed it over, and leaned on the back of the couch to watch her. "I promise."

"I believe you...about both parts." Alex wrinkled her nose, braced herself and downed the potion. "Oh Merlin, Drac! You don't lie!"

Draco laughed. "Nasty?"

"Vile! Repulsive! Eww!"

"Yes. Of course and I agree. Now," he glanced over at the neat piles on the table, "you think you can make it to your dorm with all that stuff or do you need help?"

"Ha. And can you make it up the stairs to the girls' dorm without help Draco?"

"Hmm...come to think of it. No."

"Okay then. I think I can make it." Alex rose to her feet and pulled her wand. "_Wingardium Leviosa_."

"Good. And hey," Alex turned back around to face him, her foot on the first stair. "if you do dream you come get me. You know which dorm I'm in."

And that was quite decidedly, that. Nodding once to herself, sharply, as if making up her mind, Alex covered the distance between them and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

When the slowed down mental command made it from brain to arms he made a grab for her, but by then she was already gone. Within seconds she was up the steps and out of sight.

Eventually Draco went to bed himself.

* * *

. 

A/N: Well there you have it. Bonafide Alex/Draco action...sorta. We'll see how it plays out from here. Yule Ball coming up next.


	35. Blaise's Other Women

A/N: So sorry about the delay last week. I actually did try and post the chapter several times on Monday and Tuesday. But was doing that weird "server overload" thing that it does so I couldn't log in. Thanks so much for the reminder BTW and I'll try not to let that happen if I can.

Apart from that, here we go. The beginning of the great Yule Ball arc(:snickers: Yeah right. "great" my…:grin:).

* * *

_Well, whatever was wrong with her it would seem Malfoy handled it all nicely. I hope this lasts, for both of their sakes. Draco needs stirring up and Lex needs someone to take care of her…_ Blaise grinned. _ Though she'd kill me for saying so._

"Hey Zabini." Caroline Stevens, a startlingly blonde seventh year Ravenclaw walked over to him. He eyed her slowly then decided to let his grin stay.

"Caroline. What can I do for you?" he did his usual half-bow glancing longingly at the open door to Ancient Runes only a few steps past her.

"Tell me Zabini," she offered him a look he knew just a little too well. "do you have any plans for after the Yule Ball?"

_At least,_ he thought, _she remembers enough to not expect me to actually take her to the Ball._ "I don't, now that you mention it. Why?"

Her eyes flashed lightly. She knew very well he was playing with her. "Would you like some?"

He laughed. "We'll see. I don't have any plans after class, let's start there."

Caroline smiled. "Sure, Zabini. You know how to find me."

"And I always do." He stepped lightly around her and walked into class. As he took his seat Blaise chuckled slightly. Later would be a pleasant diversion, and it _had_ been almost a week for him.

"Welcome back Mr Zabini." Professor Jackson said. "And how did your research go?"

Blaise cast a look around and, seeing that no one else had yet arrived, opened up about his project. Well, not so much a project like Alex's, more he just wanted to know. "Pretty well so far sir. The books you recommended helped a great deal. I never knew that the codes Julius Caesar used during his rule were actually the basis for our current Alpha Rune set."

"In a rather abstract way, Zabini. It was the rhythm of those codings that got used, not the actual codes themselves. "

He frowned. "But the style of writing, at least the writing tools and the spiral form are both greatly present in both."

"Yes but Caesar got those from some of the Greek art we'll be covering after Christmas break, who, in their turn, probably got some of their inspiration from Babylon."

Blaise felt that shivery goodness begin to tingle in the back of his brain. All this information to know and this was just from the Alpha set. There were more than enough Sets to keep him busy for the rest of his life.

And it wasn't so much the power of the knowledge, for how a Rune came into being did not better allow a person the use of it. It was a whole different thing to learn how to use the Runes, and Blaise was neck deep in that as well, but this, _this_ was fun!

He grinned openly, obviously shocking the heck out of his Professor, but them the rest of the class was trickling into the cool room and he could say nothing. Blaise turned his attentions to other things as he waited for the lesson to start, namely, where the heck was Alex? She was in this class too.

Blaise sighed. It didn't really matter, he could always just go over the lesson with her later...which was exactly what she was counting on he knew. Sighing lightly he let his mind drift.

It suddenly struck him that the room they were in was awfully bright considering it was situated entirely within the castle and had no windows. The only light source was a chandeliers made of tarnished brass hanging above their heads, but even that shouldn't giving off this much light?

Was it a Runes thing? Or would that mess up the spells taught here? And if it wasn't then was it just another part of the castle's legendary magics?

Blaise...decided to find out. There was a spell he knew, one he was actually supposed to know, but one he wasn't supposed to be using in this class right now. It was supposed to help you spot magical traps but it should give him a clear view of the Runes being used in the room if there were any.

"Alright class. Let's get started." The Professor move to the front of the room and tapped the black board. A series of letters and page numbers scrolled slowly up front the chalk-holder at the bottom. "Beginning where we left off at the end of Thursday's class, please turn to page 215 of you main text and the diagrams on 476 to 480 in the Addendum of Rune Technology."

Blaise let his eyes drift half shut, calming his mind and pulling up the memory of that Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"As you can tell, these formations cover both the Alpha and Gamma sets but, as most of you have no practical knowledge of anything beyond Alpha and certainly not to the level of Gamma, we'll be ignoring that set. That would make it the dark red lines on your diagrams that you'll be ignoring. Now then, who can tell me…"

He lost track of the lesson as the appropriate words found their place into his head. _Videor…_

"So the word it sounds like isn't anywhere close to the actual use/definition of the rune. Very good Jordan…."

_Veneficus…_

"…I want you all to keep that in mind as you continue to study these Runes. This particular sub-grouping was created, or discovered if you will, by a one Marcus Vinvenn…."

_Absconditus…_

"…A notoriously paranoid roman he was, and that's not just hearsay, recently researchers have uncovered some of his original journals."

_Videor._

"But I digress. My apologies students. The point, as I usually tend to have one, is that these particular runes are of the more twisted and confusing variety so please try and not take them at face value."

Blaise was in shock, and not just the surprised kind. He quite literally couldn't pull his eyes from the glowing designs currently etching themselves forever into his brain.

The seemingly random patterns of lines, dots, dashes, curls and letters of various languages rippled slowly.

Idly he wondered why his eyeballs weren't burning as he certainly was blinking. But it was just magical light, not real light. Maybe that was it.

But, still not blinking, he noticed something else. The colors were different. And while yes, most of it was the gold people commonly associated with magic the gold itself ranged from the palest of shimmers to the rich fullness of the metal to a dark dull kind almost bronze. And beyond…under…around? That were the other colors. A tiny hint of blue on that window, fluttering slightly in his vision as if by wings. A deep undercurrent of browns lacing the stone of the castle, solid and unmoving. And, in the far corner, almost directly around an empty desk beside him, was a dark purple-ish red.

The runes written in that last…Blaise swallowed. They seemed to pulse in time with his breathing. In fact, as he looked on, the color itself seemed to move and flow in his vision. It was mesmerizing.

Quiet.

Calm.

Powerful.

Alluring.

Unending………….

"F…fini…"

………….he was drowning quietly. It was really quite pleasant.

"_Finite Incantatem!_"

"Blaise?" Professor Jones looked over inquiringly.

Blaise himself was discovering that, at some point, he had, in fact, stopped breathing.

"Did you say something?"

"No sir." He covered smoothly. "Just a cough, and he proceeded to cough again to prove his cover story. Well that and he really did need to cough.

Important note to Blaise from Blaise: DON'T DO THAT AGAIN, STUPID!

"Very well. As I was saying, the FGE rune, or more likely know as the "_Fugo_" rune is composed of a twelve point swirl and, unlike our commonly used spell of "_Fugo_" has absolutely nothing to do with spatial movement at all…"

* * *

. 

"_Ha_! I'd just as soon marry a Mud-blood!"

"Oh really? And where are you two registered?"

Blaise grinned. The "argument" could only be coming from two of his favorite people. Stopping, and permanently disrupting the smooth flow of students from Point A to Point food, he started tracking the sound.

By the time he found them, disrupting the flow themselves and entirely oblivious to it, Alex was sighing.

"Oh alright, Draco. I'll be ready when you need me to be."

It was said grudgingly, almost prompting another grin past Blaise's mouth. Trust Alex to be annoyed when she got asked out on a date.

"So, Zabini," Draco turned to greet his dorm mate instead of being gracious about Lex's capitulation, "who're you taking to the Yule Ball?"

_Ooooh! So _that_ was it!_ He thought fast. Obviously his plan of taking Alex by default had fallen through.

"Not sure yet. None of my girls are of the right…_breeding_ to be seen with me in public and I haven't had the time to start investigating and evaluating the Slytherin females."

"I'd ask you to look younger." Draco stated. "I'm sure all of the younger girls, at least, will manage to get invited and it would be better if they went with someone In-House….unless of course you're going to go with someone your own age. May I suggest you avoid Pansy?"

A slightly strange expression flickered over Alex's face. "Milli already has a date. But he's right. In fact, you should take Tania. Otherwise she'll just end up going with Hunter."

"And no one deserves to have a relative escort them to an event like this."

"Speaking from personal experience Draco?"

"Who _me_!" Draco pulled back in mock insult. He sniffed. "I assure you Miss Bellmonte, I have always attended every event I wished with whoever I wished and, if that person was a family member then it was only at my choosing. Thus not even remotely like our current topic of discussi-"

"Wow. Okay. Shut up." Alex sent him a look of extreme female disbelief and exasperation.

"Wow. Okay. Lunch?" Blaise replied, diverting the conversation.

"Always."

"Sure. Why not?"

They spoke at the same time and, as Blaise could see either response coming from either person, he didn't discern who which had originated.

He didn't have the brain power to devote to it anyway. After all, he still had to find a date.

Man it was gonna be annoying to not go with Alex anymore.

* * *

. 

"Well, here I am. Just like I said I'd be."

Alex was, Draco noted, not entirely enthused. But then, apparently she'd just as soon marry a Mud-blood so he'd kinda already known that. He eyed he outfit.

"Interesting look. Making a fashion statement?"

"Yes, well, since I'm being treated like one I thought I'd dress like a servant." she gripped a handful of the worn once-black but now grey-ish robe and dipped a curtsey.

"You're really playing this up aren't you?"

Before that night he would never have said it. It was by far too real, too honest for either of them. And even though "That Night" and the events therein went entirely unspoken about, it had in fact, changed things. This being one of them.

"Of course." She snorted. "Why in the world would I want to go trekking through the edges of the Not-so-Forbidden part of the Forest for _your_ Herbology homework?"

Draco smirked, his eyes flicking briefly towards that Not-so Forbidden, and quickly approaching Forest. "Because you'd have to do it for _your_ homework one of these days and it'll go faster with two people."

"Ah, but there's where you're wrong. I wouldn't need to go anywhere but to the owlery."

"The owlery? What…"

Alex shot him a Look, stepping lightly over a muddy root. "I'd _order_ the plants, Malfoy."

"And get in trouble with the Professor. You think she won't be able to tell that they aren't fresh?"

It was Alex's turn to smirk. "She hasn't yet."

"Why _Alex_!"

They both burst out laughing, Alex leaning on his shoulder as she stumbled slightly.

"_Why Alex!_" she mimicked shrilly, mirthful eyes already scanning the ground around them for the plant he needed. "What _was_ that, Draco?"

"A horrified response to the news that you've been cheating?"

"I have _not_ been cheating! She never said we _had_ to get the plants from out here. She just said that we'd be able to find them here and that they must be fresh."

"Fresh, Alex. That's the point."

"All of mine _are_ fresh!" she sniffed. "It's in the guarantee."

That inspired another round of laughter. A few minutes later, their search still fruitless, Draco settled himself onto a large boulder.

"What are you doing?" Alex demanded indignantly.

"Keeping watch for bad things."

She sighed. "Bad things, huh? Well, I think I have a mirror on me somewhere…"

"Ha. Ha. So funny Alex."

"About as funny as me doing your homework for you Draco."

Obedient to the unspoken order Draco climbed back to his feet. "So, Bellmonte, who're you taking to the Ball?"

Silence met his teasing question and he glanced over his shoulder to see a slightly tense set to her shoulders.

"You know, I'm not sure if I'll be going yet."

Draco frowned. She was telling him the truth, but not really.

"Oh? Why not?"

She stood up and stretched a little. "I sent off an owl to my parents explaining the situation and asking if I could stay over break, but I haven't gotten a reply yet."

Which was also the truth. _Question: When did I figure out how to tell when she's lying?_ But she still didn't look happy about something.

"Hey there it is!" Draco followed the pointing finger and sure enough, red stem, brown veining and a slightly furry look. That was it all right.

"D'you have the spade?"

"No. I gave it to you."

"So you did." And the subject was dropped.

* * *

. 

A/N: First things first.

_Videor _to be seen

_Veneficus _magical/witch

_Absconditus _hidden, also _occultus_

_Fugo_, to 'chase away'. Used in the Jaina fic on Sirius Black.

Also, expect some Pansy and some of Hunter's Marauders(from the Tania fic) in the next chapter(or two?).

Review


	36. The Same Boat

A/N: Oh the pain! The headaches! The…rewrites. But no. I'm waaaaay too lazy for that. See, I looked up a list of canon Slytherins for a list of Slytherin girls featured below. And guess what I found out? That's right! There are two people, CANON people in Alex/Blaise/Draco's year that I haven't even brought up! Theodore Nott, 4th year and Adrian Pucey, 4th year. :sob: Well, Adrian, at least, I have an excuse for(as long as you don't mind her being female). Theo though. No clue. Maybe I'll just make him older/younger?

I dunno. I may actually just ignore this. As I said lazy.

On that note, I'm actually surprised I finished this like I did. See I was working from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and from 3:30 pm to 11 pm Sunday…after going to church until 12:30 pm. So all my writing time went away mostly. Icky. Really. But I did it.

Oh, also, I just realized in the last chapter I mess up big time. I said that the ancient runes classroom was an inside room without windows, then I say there's a window. Yeah I suck. :shrug:

* * *

Since the dawn of time, when fire was a sign of wealth and verbal communication barely existed man has found himself eternally on one search. One quest. A quest to find the perfect woman. And whether this is a "soul mate" or just a female of the right physical proportions to bear his children the search has been never ending. And the problem that has plagued man the most is that once they find this female how do they keep her.

But this was not Blaise's problem.

Blaise just needed a date to a dance.

Blaise might as well have been searching for a soul mate. Oy, his head hurt.

Blaise ran a tired hand through his hair and stared dispassionately at the sheets of parchment spread out on the table. Lists, all of them. Lists of all the girls in Slytherin. Lists proclaiming his doom.

But he would not be angry with Alex. He absolutely wouldn't! It wasn't her fault her decision to go with Draco made his life miserable. With another sigh Blaise turned back to the lists.

7th Years

Tara Cromwell

Raquel Smith

Julia Tyler

Veronica Asia

6th years

Alanna Jor

Janis C. Elissian

Raya C. Della

Stephanie Maxwell

5th years

Lucy Derrick

Cilia C. Warrington

Diana Winner

Nicolette Minamino

Terry Marquise

4th years

Alexandria Bellmonte

Millicent Bulstrode

Pansy Parkinson

Adrian Pucey

3rd years

Tania Dethart

Liana C. Montgomery

Laura C. Montgomery

Christina Asia

Rachel Ileum

Faith Cromwell

Okay then, Blaisey boy. Back to the top. Tara Cromwell.

"No way. She'd hurt me for even asking. Heck I think all of the seventh years would." A large tipped quill drew a thick line through the names in heavy black ink.

"Now then Sixth years I guess. Hmm…Alanna Jor?" Blaise thought hard, trying to do better than a vague image of red-ish blonde hair and washed out skin. Then he hit on it. "Oh yeah. That's Flint's girl. Flint the older rather. She's out. Janis C. Elissian…" he winced. "Hell no. C.Cromwell, just not from the Heir Line. Tara would hurt me. In fact _all_ the Cromwells are under her protection now that the Twins have graduated. I think I'd better be safe and stay away."

And Janis C. Elissian, Raya C. Della, Cilia C. Warrington, Liana and Laura C. Montgomery went away. Then Faith Cromwell, first question of Tara by her father's sister. Actually, it suddenly struck him that he should go through and cross of all the girls he knew were unavailable. Alexandria Bellmonte, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Adrian Pucey(away this year, studying abroad) and Christina Asia(little sister of Veronica Asia, seventh year/mean).

Blaise felt his spirits begin to sink. Out of twenty three possibilities sixteen had already slipped through his fingers. That meant he only had seven girls left.

Ew.

"Umm, Stephanie Maxwell. Nope. Used to date Jorin Cromwell so she's probably under Cromwell protection. Lucy Derrick…eh heh. Ew. Diana Winner. Twitch. Crazy, _strange_ child. Not that I should talk."

As he'd spoken the quill had been busy, leaving him with a measly four names. Of them all Tania somehow seemed the most appropriate. At least the most appealing.

Besides, Alex had had a point. If not him, then who? Well…Hunter. But that was wrong in many, many ways. A girl shouldn't have to tag along behind her older brother and no boy should have to take his sister on a date.

Ick.

He'd have to go ask the two older girls first but it looked like Tania was his one and only choice.

Blaise groaned. When had his life gotten so bad?

* * *

Alex stared critically at herself in the vanity mirror. She frowned and gave it a sudden, rough shove; flipping the dull, non-reflective side out to face her.

_"They're afraid of you Lex."_

She could almost hear the words Blaise would've said, had she confided in him. They only fanned the hurt into bitter anger. How could he _do_ this to her!

"But _you_ aren't, Blaise Zabini!" her voice quavered a little and she silenced it. _Why couldn't I have just gone with you!_

That thought instantly converted her anger into guilt. She didn't want to get in his way when Blaise dated, had tried her best to give him space when she could…she sniffled.

Alex slammed to her feet, grabbed a pillow and hurled it across the room. A snapped spell word brought it back at speed. Hugging the thick comfy thing she curled up against her other pillows on the bed.

Pansy paused outside the open door to her dorm and eyed Amazing Alex, curled up like a wounded animal on her four-poster.

"It's just an inconvenience." She muttered unconvincingly. "I am _not_ jealous of Tania Dethart!"

It was at this moment that Pansy realized both that she hadn't been noticed and when she decided to change that.

"Unlikely. Your high and mighty bloodline bred such lowly emotions from your genetics centuries ago."

Alex, as a credit to her training probably, didn't jump though she did look up and meet Pansy's eyes.

"What's with the hostility, Pansy?"

She snorted. "Is your memory failing you Alex? You started it."

Alex didn't reply. Her lips compressed into a tight white line and her eyes dropped.

"So," Pansy broke the silence as she walked over to her closet, "why aren't we jealous of Tania Dethart?"

Alex yanked viciously at a stray curl. "She has a date to the bloody thing," she muttered, growling.

Pansy froze, a shiver of sympathy welling up. "Who's she going with?" she asked softly.

Alex hesitated then sighed tiredly. "Blaise Zabini."

"Ouch. Talk about betrayal."

"No, I…that is, he knows he can do what he wants."

"Leaving you in a lurch."

"I know." Alex's agreement was a whisper. "He's never done that before."

"Merlin." Pansy replied just a little too loudly. "Bloody socially acceptable pervert!"

Alex suddenly smiled. "You realize he'd probably kiss you for saying that?"

"Well, it's not like there'd be anyone to stop him." It came out bitter, but who cares?

Alex frowned. "What?"

"We're in the same boat, Bellmonte." She flashed an evil grin at the other girl.

"I take it that means you have a plan."

"Of course."

A silence stretched out until Alex lifted an eyebrow. "So, what will you be doing?"

Pansy sighed, frowned and settled her hands on her hips; turning to fully face her dorm mate. "Are you really sure you want to-"

She jerked to a halt as Alex cut her off. "If the words, 'someone like me' end up in that sentence…"

A deep silence, snapping with taut anger flared up.

"You'll _what_, Bellmonte?"

Alex sighed and tossed herself forward so she was lying, face down, on the bed. "You're one of us, Miss Parkinson. Your mother is vapidly obvious. Your father is an annoying oaf. But _you_ have earned yourself a place…weather you like it or not."

For a brief moment Pansy looked gratified…a _brief_ moment. "An interesting observation about my parents. I'm sure we'll have to continue this some other time but for now, you want to know my plan."

"I do."

The tired sunlight filtering through the thin windows bordering the ceiling lit her face as Pansy dropped onto the edge of her bed.

"Well, I plan to…_persuade_ an escort out of the fifth years.

Alex snickered. "Donovan's boys?"

"Eddie, Charlie, Hunter and Miles…well and Mark. Wanna join me?"

"You think they can survive being double teamed?"

"They're Slytherins."

"They're _boys_."

"Point taken." Pansy bit her lip, still smiling. "We'll have to go slowly."

"So we have the who and how. Let's nail down the where and when."

* * *

A/N: Don't know if anyone noticed but, by the end, I was getting just a little desperate about the last names for the girls. Two separate and awesome anime are in there. Can anyone guess:grin:

Oh and yes, I know it's bad this week. Short etc. Sorry.


	37. Filler

A/N: MUST READ…well, not really. But I really have to _say_ at least, that I HATE the House system at Hogwarts. I was thinking about it today, while coming up with a new Hufflepuff OC for a HP role play I joined and I've decided the whole think sucks. All it does is draw lines and fosters stupid rivalries that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Why is it that the Hufflepuffs are pissed with Harry in the 4th book? Because _their House_ rarely gets any recognition. Not because they feel bad for Cedric or anything. It forms large clicks for no reason I can think of. Stupid. Just stupid.

Anyways, that's mostly it. Please don't kill me for Voldie's joke or for the way the chapter ends. I _really_ didn't feel like writing anything at all, but my sister forced me to.

That's all folks.

* * *

"Master! _My Lord_!" Wormtail's muffled, reedy voice disrupted the decades of neglect and diligent spider's work.

Voldemort frowned, anger flickering in colorless eyes. There was absolutely no excuse for the annoyance!

Nagini hissed from her spot, curled up beside the empty fireplace and Wormtail recognized the warning for what it was, rearing back in fear.

"M-master," he blinked rapidly in the dim light. "Master, I f-found it."

Voldemort paused, considering his servant's words, stalling Nagini's own motion with a thought and allowed his voice to cool of its fury. "Oh?" Icicles sparkled on each syllable. "Did you?"

Again Wormtail pulled back, stuttering into silence. As Voldemort waited for him to either scrape together enough courage to speak his message or leave, he swept his gaze over the room.

Whitewashed stonework, dirty with age and neglect, provided a strange backdrop to the scenes played out here. Thin sheets of medium blue fabric hung from the walls and windows. It was silk and had probably shone and glimmered once, but no longer. Overlaying it all was a collection of furniture that was whimsical, fun and altogether too feminine.

The Dark Lord found it somewhat ironic that the only place with the comforts and view he required would be the women's solar.

But not that ironic.

And as it was he wasn't bothered by the femininity of the place, as everything beyond the general shapes and colors were lost to him.

With his physical form in shambles to the point of nonexistence focusing was…well, impossible.

No, Voldemort corrected himself, not impossible, per say. Just long, complicated and excruciatingly painful. Nothing was _impossible_ for the Dark Lord.

Nothing.

At least not once he got his body back. Nagini hissed again, this time in angry pain, as Voldemort ground _her_ teeth together in his rage, his mental grip unshakable.

_Damn Potter_. And even as he thought it, Voldemort wasn't sure which one he meant…all three had brought him down to his current state. The rest of the world cried praise to the little one, but little did they know the true events….

"P-Potter, m'Lord?" Wormtail stammered, his hands clenching against each other in anxiety.

Voldemort drew in a hissing breath. So he'd spoken aloud. It wouldn't happen again. His control would not follow his body into oblivion.

"You have news?" he snapped.

"Y-yes Master…b-but, Potter! He's th-the k-key, Master."

"The key?" he repeated. "I thought he was the Boy-who-lived."

Wormtail did not get the joke….as usual. "Yes Master. The key to returning you to your body!"

Voldemort felt something inside him begin to stir with fury. If Potter was involved, _any_ Potter for that matter, it was all bound to go wrong! "Oh is he, Wormtail? Do tell."

Wormtail quite literally squeaked in horror as his Lord smiled down at him and the Dark Lord felt his fragile sanity fraying. _Damn coward! Where is my Circle when I need them! Dammit where's Bella and 'Dolph!_

As it was he had to wait a full seven minutes and twenty two seconds for his one remaining servant to gather himself enough to speak. The Dark Lord knew….he counted.

"It was in the books Master." His voice quavered again, but at least, with any luck, he'd finish what he came to say before it gave out again. And at least he wasn't stammering.

"The books?"

"From Jackle's apartments m'Lord. I thought I had it days ago, but then it panned out to nothing again so I didn't say anything, but then I found it. The way to make it work!"

Voldemort calmly let Wormtail ramble. While nothing close to an academic genius, the one redeeming quality of the useless creature was his ability to retain a terrific amount of knowledge at once. What came out of his mouth was only a distilled version of it all.

"It's really just a spell to return something stole from you where you bring together the person stolen from and the person who had stolen the item and cast a potion over both alone with a simple spell…but it wouldn't have been powerful enough to bring back your body because your body doesn't exists elsewhere in the physical world. But as I read through those books on blood magic I found it-"

"_What_ books on blood magic!" Voldemort cut in, frowning again and trying to remember.

"There were four of them wrapped in brown paper with the name 'Alex' on it, Master, along with a note saying, 'I hope these will help to complete your collection.'"

Sitting in his chair Voldemort watched Wormtail for several nervous minutes before the other realized he was supposed to continue.

"Erm…uh.. oh yes. In the books there's a potion that will combine part of you with the willing offering of flesh by someone else to create a body, then you do the stealing spell and it will return that body to you. And Harry Potter is the key because without him we can make you a new body but we won't be able to give it back to you."

* * *

It was, towering, majestic and powerful. It was home. And he was Lord Bellmonte, king of this castle. The Great Foyer was a favorite place of his at this time of day, huge and half full of shadows. Echoing in its emptiness. He smiled as the silence of it enfolded him.

"Franklin!"

Most people would've asked if their loved one was home, but not his wife. She _demanded_ that he be there. His smile widened into a grin, which he covered with his hand. "Yes my love?" he called, already moving towards the Library, where her voice had come from.

"Franklin," she said softer, looking up from the book she was reading, "how was your day?"

"Thrilling."

Deanna sent him a Look at his wry tone.

"I spent the day with Lucius," he leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, "did you _expect_ me to have fun?"

The fading sunlight softened her hard edges as she shook her head and Franklin once again found himself thinking wistfully about other children. But he knew better by now. It was the price one paid for marrying a Bellmonte. You spent the rest of your life living by a bunch of rules even _they_ hated.

"And how is Lucius?"

It was his turn to send her a Look. "You needn't ask a question if you already know the answer, darling mine."

"Tell me anyway."

Sighing he crossed the room and joined her, picking up a small cookie from her cold tea tray. "He has been acting exactly as is normal for him these days. Which is to say, strangely." Franklin frowned. "Jumpy isn't the word, but it's close. He seems jumpy, agitated, on edge…but excited also. Like he knows something is happening and he isn't sure if it'll be good or bad."

Deana nodded slowly, frowning herself. "Narcissa is much the same, though I think she hides it better."

"Lucius always did have his emotions on his sleeve."

She smiled nostalgically. "True. A pity he doesn't have any better emotions to show these days."

"Jackle's murder shook him up. It shook all of us up." Franklin crumbled the cookie to bits and let them drop back onto the plate. "That anyone would dare kill such a man."

"He was under our protection," Deana said bitterly. "ours, the Malfoys, the Zabinis. I think even the Cromwells championed him. He was one of us, or near enough. That should have _been_ enough!"

"It should have." He agreed. "But it wasn't. Somewhere, with someone, we lost the power we had."

"Not for long!" It was a promise. Revenge was in the air and Franklin almost flinched at the blazing fury in his wife's eyes. Someone, somewhere would pay for this.

"It's also disturbing that whoever it was, they knew about his personal books. The Aurors didn't. they reported that 'nothing was missing'. The fools."

The subtle change in top worked better than he'd hoped, Deana latching onto it.

"And Alexandria, will she be held up without those books?"

"I doubt it. She was merely thinking ahead and ordering the books before she needed them. That's why I was picking them up for her."

"Mmm. Our daughter."

Franklin felt a flash of apprehension about his only child. "What about her?"

"I've been hearing rumors lately. About her. About her actions at Hogwarts of late."

"Rumors only." He pointed out, "What sort of supposed actions?"

"For one thing she's taken an interest in Tania Dethart."

"Dethart I know but Tania is…?"

"Kent's youngest. The only girl."

"I see." He trailed off on purpose, 'considering' the issue.

"She knows what kind of social climber that man is, Franklin! Don't insult my daughter's intelligence with your silence."

"Of course, Deana. Alex knows enough to keep her head….but that's not what has you concerned."

"No."

She said nothing, glaring death at her teacup. He fought growing worry and waited for her words.

"It would seem," she said finally, "that Alexandria may be getting…_involved_ with someone."

"Who?" Franklin Bellmonte snapped.

"Draco Malfoy." Lady Bellmonte smiled coldly.

"Ah." And, as it sunk in, he began to wonder if she really would be able to keep her head.

"I'm going to order dinner." Deana said, standing and sweeping out, calling for the kitchen elves.

Outside the huge windows the sun was finishing its race for the horizon and in the dark a stray bit of poetry popped unbidden into his head.

Do not speak to me of hell

Until you hear this tale I tell

Darkest night

A soul's Bain

Listen well

This tale of pain

Strangely it seemed appropriate.

* * *

"So…how do I look?"

Alex threw her head back and laughed at the sheer absurdity of the question. They'd put two days into the preparation for their plan, which, boiled down, meant this look. It was plotted, planed and designed to perfection and once they applied it, their goal would be handed to them on a silver platter.

Walking down the stairs into Common Room was an experience, or rather the arrival _in_ Common Room was. Somewhere between glancing up to see who was coming and registering the two of them every male mind in the place stuttered to a halt.

Alex' hair was hanging loose, slightly rumpled with a hint of messy, falling down around her shoulders and emphasizing the hint of pink in her white cotton shirt. The shirt itself was tucked into tight black jeans that were stylistically worn in places to make them look comfortable. The black belt had a hint if silver stitching in it and she was wearing her three-inch heel boots.

It was, by far, the most "Muggle" outfit she owned, and one Pansy had helped her put to together. The point was to put together something that departed so radically from the elegant sophistication people expected from her.

And Pansy was something else entirely. Her deep brown locks were pulled up in something that looked simple, or would have if Alex didn't know that they'd spent forty five minutes getting it right, and left just a few wisps to frame the other girl's face. A black yarn-lace poncho covered a sleeveless red turtleneck and draped down over the waist band of the black gypsy styled skirt covered in red roses. It softened her hard look and all of a sudden they were the girl next door.

The very _hot_ girl next door.

And considering that the boys of Slytherin were used to facing Ladies who could take them in a fight, it was really no surprise they reacted like that.

That didn't make it any less amusing though.

Alex tapped one pink tinted fingernail against the seam of her jeans and wondered when the effect was going to wear off. Beside her Pansy threw up her hands and sighed.

"Come on Alex. We have places to be."

She nodded. "Right. Let's go."

Linking arms the two girls left the room.

"Umm…"Blaise said into the silence that followed them, "when did those two stop hating each other."

"I…don't think they have, Zabini." Draco replied with a hint of fear. "I think they're just plotting something."

"Well, make them _stop_!"

"Would that I could. I don't think I could take even one of them right now."

"Neither could anyone else." A seventh year boy said soberly, completely missing the silencing look Tara Cromwell was shooting him. "And if they keep it up I think we should get Professor Snape."

And, for some reason none of the guys could figure out, that set off the biggest round of hysterical female laughter that Slytherin house had seen to date.

* * *

"I hate Divinations. I hate divinations. I hate Divinations."

Hunter looked up from his book and sighed. "Repeating your motto in life is not going to make the homework go away, Eddie."

His friend looked up and glared half-heartedly. "So? I _hate_ divinations. That woman is a total nutcase."

Behind Eddie two vaguely familiar figures paused in the door to the Library, two pairs of eyes sweeping the room. Spotting his group they looked at each other, said something at the same time and walked over.

As they came nearer he finally figured it out. It was Pansy Parkinson and Alex Bellmonte…sorta. They were dressed normally, but somehow…they weren't.

_No_, Hunter thought to himself, _they were dressed like normal people, not "normally"._

"Hey guys." Alex smiled as they came up. "Can we join you?"

"Why?" Hunter turned to stare at Mark for the rude comment and saw a very interesting look on his face.

"Wh-" it certainly took the girl aback. She cast a look at Pansy.

"Because," Pansy put in smoothly, with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "Common Room is an absolute zoo right now and this is the only Slytherin group in the library."

"Oh Eddie, you have Mars graphed wrong." Alex leaned over his shoulder and tapped a finger against the planet chart. "If we're bothering you we'll leave."

"Oh _hell_ no!" Eddie said suddenly, grabbing Alex's hand before she could move. "if you understand this crap, you're not leaving until I do!"

Mark started laughing and Hunter sighed in exasperation. Charlie, on the other hand, was a little more practical, reaching behind himself he snagged a chair from an empty table.

"I do _not_," Alex emphasized sternly, "'understand all this crap'. Professor Trelawny is an absolute fruitcake. But I _do_ know how to draw correct star and planet charts."

"Oh _good_. Now fix it." He moved the chart under her nose. She just looked at him.

"Fix it…" Mark prompted after a second.

"Fix it, _please_ Lady Bellmonte!"

"…Please…who?"

Poor Eddie looked more confused by her than the chart. Pansy leaned over as she took the chair Charlie offered her and whispered in his ear.

"Oh! Sorry. Please won't you help me Alex?"

She smiled at him, calling on her best dimple as she did. "Sure. It's easy, here, " she leaned over him again, placing one hand on his shoulder as she pointed with the other. "right there, you got the formula backwards. It's (1/16h-4)+mv5/(1612). Not the other way around."

"Really?" Mark leaned over and grabbed the page. "Bugger. I got mine wrong too."

"Would you like me to proof read it, Donovan?"

The whole table froze, every boy waiting for the typical outburst from Mark about his given name. But instead he just stood and pulled out his chair for her.

"if you would I'd be in your debt, Alex."

"Really?" she turned to look at him while sitting. "How much in my debt."

* * *

A/N: So, there we go. All done. With any luck next up will be the beginning of the Yule Ball. Keep your fingers crossed though readers of mine. Because a big Tania-Event will happen during the Ball and so Jaylyn wants us to post that part at the same time. Meaning, well, if she doesn't manage to fit everything into one chapter then I'll have to scrounge up some more filler from somewhere and maybe end up sending Blaise and Draco on a clothes shopping trip.(Oh joy! Imagine that one!) I _really_ hope that doesn't happen.

Review.


	38. Dress Madness

A/N: Okay, I'll try to be as brief as I can. Apparently something in my last(mostly AN) chappie caused the admins to jump all over me and delete it. Sorry.

Anyway, I'll briefly recap my points.(aka copy them from my saved-to-the-computer document)

**A)** My Slush fic. Really it barely exists (besides in my head) and most of it will match up with scenes from Year 5 so I haven't gotten around to writing them out yet. The point is, that I'll give you the two (well I call them "core chapters" cause they have enough info to remind me of everything I wanted to do with the plot) if you ask ( basically I'll need your email if you still want them, Elektra).

**B)** Ozalan, to answer your questions, no my formula was Not real. In fact, I couldn't even tell you what I meant by it. Math is evil. I just threw down something that looked math-y. Sorry if that's a disappointment.

Also, the reason Tania was Blaise's last choice was 1) If you'll remember the only reason he took her to Hogsmeade is because he had to find someone to play Alex. 2) She is a year younger than him and he likes older women and... 3) He _did _take her to Hogsmeade and since he is currently sure he's not interested in her romantically (I promise that'll change…eventually) he doesn't want to lead her on. He _is_ a massive sweetheart you know.

**C)** I think this was the problem child as it was just a rant about the Mary-sue review. Anyways, my rightly confused "Queen of Zukia" a Mary-Sue is a story whose main character(an OC) is perfect, and happy and beautiful and everyone loves her and she is always amazingly powerful in exactly the right way to save the day in the nick of time, usually causing whichever character the author likes best to fall madly in love with her and either they ride off into the sunset or she dies horribly sending the entire cast of characters into deep and eternal mourning.

These characters have no real backstory or reason for them to be there and tend to make the main characters act out of character themselves.

**D)** I never did get around to that whole shopping trip thing, instead I posted a sneak peek at the last scene of the last chapter of this fic. It was heart-wrenching…and, since there's actual writing in this fic I won't repost it. :shrug: sorry.

**And now, what was the new chapter. ****A/N**: I think I need to apologize. Lately (as in the last 5-10 chapters) I've been feeling as though I've lost control of this fic. It's been dragging me all across the landscape for no reason and leaving a rather strange tale behind it. Well, no more. I've redefined in my head both the characters and the Plot so, with any luck, it will flow better from now on. If there was any confusion created I apologize and, if you tell me what is confusing I'll try to explain and/or fix it. Heh. :shrug:

**PS**: I'll put up the actual pics of Milli and Pansy from the movies that I could find(and a couple that look like what _I_ think Pansy looks like…I haven't found any for Milli yet).

* * *

.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for her." Alex mused quietly.

"Who?" Milli asked, pausing in her make-up application to look at her dorm mate through the mirror.

"Tania." She chuckled. "_I_ don't even know what to do with 'Party Blaise' half the time."

"I know." Milli rolled her eyes. "Merlin, that boy is a terror during a party."

"Hey!" Alex sat up abruptly clutching one of her pillows. "He's just a little hyper around that many people at once."

"Alex, darling," Pansy stopped, dress in hand, to shake her head, "that boy is a _pain_."

"…rambunctious?" she tried.

"Pain."

Alex sighed and shrugged. "You can't deny he's cute."

Milli giggled. "Alex, he's _the_ hottest boy in our year. But he's still a pain. A cute, adorable, rich-to-the-hilt, old blooded, old fashioned, sweetheart of a pain."

The black haired girl glared at her companions. "_So_!" she demanded. "What's your point!"

"Gods, give it a rest Bellmonte. We all adore your bloody brother!" Pansy snapped. "So he has a flaw. _One_ flaw! Besides the gender specific ones that is."

"What like being denser than anything else in existence?" Alex sighed in purely feminine exasperation and flopped back into her pillows.

"Exactly." Milli straightened up and turned around to level a Look at Alex. "And speaking of boys, why aren't you going with Draco?"

"What?" Alex wrinkled her nose. "'Cause he didn't ask me? Neither did any of the Weasleys, gonna bring them up next?"

"No. I was just wondering, 'cause Greg told me that Malfoy doesn't have a date and what with you ruining all my beauty rest with your sad little dream moans…_oh Draco!_"

"I do _NOT_!"Alex shrieked, jerking upright once again and hurling a pillow at the offending friend.

Milli started laughing and sent it straight back at her. "You're transparent about boys you like _Lady_ Bellmonte. It's why no one's ever mistaken you and Blaisey boy for a couple."

"I am _not_." she repeated inanely, glaring. Somehow the glares didn't have the effect they should have. Probably because she had to admit, in her head if not out loud, that Milli was right.

"Whatever, Alex. Ta." Still smirking, Milli swept from the room.

"Oh my gosh," Alex muttered shaking her head.

"You…um.…" Pansy cleared her throat, causing Alex to look over at her. There was pain on her face. "You would've gone with him, if he'd asked you."

"Draco?" When Pansy nodded she sighed. "I…guess. But he never would have. You know his parents and mine. You can imagine the carnage if they found out. He would never have risked asking me."

"But you wanted him to." It wasn't meant as a question.

"I…look I know he was with you last year. If there's some ex-boyfriend rule you think I've broken, Pansy, then we need to talk about it-"

A sharp, hurried, knock cut her off, abruptly ending the conversation. The look Pansy was giving her as she headed for the door was nothing short of murderous, and for the life of her Alex couldn't figure out why.

Which was precisely _why_ they needed to have this talk. When fellow Slytherins didn't like you, they said so to your face and the two of you had it out…usually in a duel in Common Room. This brittle silence was infuriating!

A second, louder knock was just beginning as Alex yanked open the door. She paused, hand on the knob and blinked.

On the other side, clutching a chaotic mass of cloth (which could have, at one point, been dresses) stood a harried looking Tania Dethart.

"I'm going to the Ball," she declared, as if it was new information. "And it's all wrong!" The smaller girl gave her pile a malicious shake. "None of it _works_!"

It came out just as angry as the rest of her words, but there was a whimper in it. Alex fought a grin, suddenly understanding.

"You don't have anything to wear do you?"

All the fury drained out of her face, leaving only desperate frustration. "No!" she wailed.

Alex laughed sympathetically. "You poor thing. Come in. I'll fix it." With gentle hands she took the crumpled clothing and tossed it on her bed, motioning the girl inside.

"If you need anything from mine, go ahead and use it," Pansy said abruptly, snatching up her purse and making a harsh exit.

Alex cast her a strange look, which she didn't notice, before turning back to her subject. Tania was standing in the middle of the open area…fidgeting.

"Okay then," she shut the door behind her, "Tania, nothing meant, but strip."

The other girl jumped. _What, had she forgotten I was there?_

Crossing to her own wardrobe, which stood directly behind the door anyway, Alex glanced briefly at Tania, who was obediently taking off her school uniform, then frowned and stared at her clothes.

It didn't actually take all the long to decide. All of her uniforms were out, as were all of her old dresses that she'd already worn but hadn't had time to alter yet. There was no way she would make Tania look like she had to resort to hand me downs. So all that was left were her new things.

And of those, only a few were Ball material…no pun intended. Of _those,_ one was brown, no chance given Tania's coloring, and one was silvery grey….waaaaay too cliché. No House colors.

"Hmm…let's do-No!…Umm…this one!" Alex snatched up the dress and held it up to Tania. After a second she nodded. "Yeah, try it on."

Obediently Tania did, her face lighting up as she felt the silk slide down over her skin. With a little twisting to get it to sit right and Alex casting a temporary hemming spell that fit it to her slightly smaller size it was on and Alex cast an appraising eye over it.

Ankle length, with plenty of flow in the skirt, the gown was a deep red, with hints of purple in it. It was backless with a V-neck cut just a little too low to be conservative coming up tie around behind her neck.

"Perfect…no, Tania. No mirrors until I finish. Here, put those on." Alex handed over the dancing slippers meant for that dress. Simple and elegant they were made of accenting black silk. Tania took them and sank onto the bed as Alex crossed the room to her desk. Pulling out a jewelry case she began humming as she rummaged through it. "Here," she said again, dropping a pair of dangly earrings into Tania's open hand. "I'll get the choker."

"What…what kind of gems are these?" Tania asked softly, looking at the glittering black jewels.

"Black opals, I think," her friend replied. A black silk ribbon bearing a much larger version of the opals in the earrings dropped across her eyes for a second as Alex tied the chocker deftly around her neck.

"That's brilliant, now hair. Up or down, do you think?"

Tania opened her mouth, but before anything came out Alex decided. "Down, definitely down. It's long enough you won't freeze in that dress."

Tania smiled, feeling the first hints of excitement bubbling up under the anxiety of it all. Sliding the earrings in, she reached up and began pulling out the pins keeping her hair out of her way.

Alex stopped her rummaging and turned back towards her, a black ribbon in one hand. She froze suddenly, a frown twisting her smile.

"Umm, Tania…"

Tania let her hands drop from her hair in confusion, saw her own bare arms and blanched. There was no way she'd screwed up so badly! It was…and now Alex knew and-

"Well, then gloves, I think." The calm acceptance in the other girl's voice ended the panic attack before it got off the ground. Reaching around behind her, Alex pulled out a handful of elbow length gloves of half a dozen colors. Pulling out the – surprise! – black ones she handed them over before moving around to kneel on the bed behind her.

Tania stared at the lengths of silk as she felt a brush working its way through her hair.

"_Breathe,_ m'dear," Alex said softly near her ear. "I'm not going to say anything."

Tania's lips twitched and she wanted to say something, anything, but there wasn't anything. She swallowed painfully, as if something were caught in her throat, and took a deep breath to calm her shattered thoughts.

"I think I'll do a little of both, actually, Tania. Let's just take most of this top layer around your face and do a half ponytail."

"Uhh…." Tania applied all of her genius to a reply. "Sure. Whatever you want."

Alex sniffed arrogantly. "Always, dear. Always." She stopped her puttering and leaned over Tania's shoulder and smiled at her profile. "All done. Go find a mirror."

Tania shrugged, walking over to the full length mirror. Whatever Alex said, Tania _had_ seen herself made up before, it wasn't going to be much different…except it was. She wasn't in a dress designed to create a wallflower of her. In fact, despite the length of fabric and the gloves, a very great deal of her skin seemed to be showing.

A very great deal of her skin was showing and she looked _good_! Tania started to grin at her reflection.

"Hey, I'm done myself if you are, Tania. We should go, Blaise isn't late to anything."

Alex's words had a profound affect. Tania stopped grinning. "Shit!" she hissed, blushing furiously. Still watching the mirror, Tania noticed that the red flush extended much lower than her neck.

Alex appeared behind her in the reflection, her gown white with a scarlet corset, her face serious. "You look gorgeous, Tani. Let him think he's leading and keep him on his toes. You'll have no problems." She wrinkled her nose. "Me, on the other hand, I'm going with the Head Baddock himself. _I_ will be having problems."

Tania started to giggle and Alex smoothed her skirt and straightened the off-the-shoulder ruffle that made up her very Southern American style gown. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Just…nothing." Tania shook her head. "Let's go."

* * *

. 

Alex felt a smile cover her mouth, wondering if Tania would blame her for 'abandoning' her to Blaise. She wondered if maybe Tania would actually yell at her. Now _that_ might be fun. Out the portrait hole and down the hall, Alex kept her skirt out of her way with one hand and wove automatically through the standing groups of students. On the left side of the Great Stairs, exactly three steps up, exactly where he said he would be, lounged alone Donovan Baddock. He looked bored. He looked tired of the whole thing…. Alex would bet good money, her parent's of course, that he was as giddy as she. Despite her initial misgivings, somewhere between trapping a date and choosing a dress, Alex had started looking forward to the Ball.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up at him, hands on her hips. "So, are you ready for your social debut, Baddock?"

Donovan started minusculely before flashing her a smile. "I hate to disappoint you, Alex, but I've already been introduced to society."

"Ah," her smile turned decidedly flirtatious, with just a hint of smugness, "but never on the arm of a Bellmonte."

"Oh," he mined a pout, "and here I thought you were going to be _my_ arm candy, not the other way around."

Alex shrugged unrepentantly. "Sorry, Donovan. _I_ asked _you_. I get the perks."

"Granted, but either way I get to go with you. You have fueled my fantasies for months."

Alex opened her mouth, stopped, and frowned sharply at him. "Donovan Baddock, _you_ were talking to Blaise about this."

"Guilty. The boy is full of advice on," he cleared his throat with a little more than a hint of hesitation, "how to _handle_ you."

"_Was_ he now?" She started to snicker, covering her mouth with one hand. "Thank you for telling me, Donovan." Alex moved up a stair and put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, though. I won't blame you."

He sighed in relief, then winced. "That's three times now, m'lady."

"Three…times…of what?" Alex shook her head in confusion.

"Three times you've used my…full name." He eyed her warily and Alex threw up her hands.

"I do _not_ offend that easily, Baddock. So you don't like Donovan. Okay. What would you like to be called?"

"I prefer Mark."

She frowned a little. "Mark? That's not your middle name, I don't think…. So, why Mark?"

To her complete and enduring shock, he blushed. "I…can't…say. Those who know are sworn to silence," he added hurriedly and Alex knew why. The instant he'd said he couldn't tell her it had become a puzzle. The look on her face was probably somewhat fear-inspiring to someone with a secret.

"Uh, know what? You can call me Van instead."

"Sure. I won't pry if you ask me not to." He opened his mouth and she waved a hand as if to clear the air between them. "Consider it asked, Van."

"So," Van bowed and offered her his arm. "Shall we go in? We'll be fashionably late."

And indeed, the Entrance Hall had emptied greatly since their conversation had begun, the huge doors to the Great Hall open on a glittering scene.

"Of course." Alex grinned and slipped a hand into his elbow. "Let us always be fashionable."

* * *

. 

A/N: There we go. I forgot but someone did ask how I could jump from A) Task 1 to B) Yule Ball: well, m'dear. Let me put it this way. Nothing interesting happened between A and B. Sorry.

Also, there is going to probably be a two week period with no updates(check the Tania story she will still be here maybe) but I'm going away to church camp for a week or so, so, while I'll be writing, none of it will be on the computer and I won't have net access.

Not my fault.

And I'll try to have something ready for right when I get back.


	39. Birdbrains

A/N: Two words. Halfblood Prince.

Read it. Adored it. A must read…as if anyone was planning to skip it. As it stands I'm working on re-working my long-term Plot a little so that it matches up(yeah, even though you probably couldn't tell I _do_ have this story planned in detail through 7th year). It won't change too much in the near future, but I can promise that Alex/Draco goodness will probably proceed faster than it would've before.

Thanks for your patience.

* * *

.

Draco tugged on his sock again, before sliding his feet into his dress boots. Slim fingers pulled on the laces, tightening the supple leather around his upper calves. Standing, he wiggled his knees until the crisp black fabric pants fell back into place.

A half-hearted yawn escaped his mouth and Draco reached above his head, stretching.

"Oh put a shirt on, Malfoy!" Greg said, flicking him in the stomach with his robe as he walked past. "No one wants to see your pretty pecs."

"Yet you're the only one who noticed them, Goyle."

Draco missed Greg's response as he pulled his shirt over his head, but Blaise's shout of surprised pain made it clearly through the cloth. He gave a hasty yank and freed his head.

Blaise was on the floor, engaged in an enthusiastic wrestling match with Greg. Draco laughed at them both as he stuffed his arms into the shirt's blouse-like sleeves.

"Come on, old boy." Vince waded calmly in and grabbed a handful of Greg's collar. "You know what Bellmonte would do if you marked up her boy toy."

"What are you talking about?" Greg sputtered, straightening. "I wasn't anywhere _near_ Draco."

Blaise let out an entirely unflattering snort. "Oh if she _heard_ you."

Draco scoffed and crossed over to the mirror. "I am not a boy toy," he said, casually fluffing his hair. "I am a kept man."

The other boy finally picked himself up off the floor with a shrug. "Suit yourself. _I_ am a boy toy."

"And _I_ am not listening to this. I'm outta here."

"I'm with you Vince. Try not to take too long primping, girls."

Blaise's response was smooth, elegant and not entirely anatomically possible. Greg just grinned and waved as he shut the door behind them.

With them gone silence fell, and Draco absently tied the cuffs on his sleeves. The shirt itself was loose and breezy, and pale icy blue. He reached back and grabbed his robes. They were black with silver lining. His mother had planned and sent him out the whole thing as soon as she'd found out about the Ball.

It was as close as she'd come to the dreaded Ice Prince wardrobe he'd suffered through years ago…had suffered until one day when he'd snapped and coldly told her that if she wanted a ghost as an escort she could very well use one, but he wouldn't play the part anymore.

He snickered at his reflection. The look on her face had been amazing. After that she'd dressed him in solid black for weeks until someone had asked who had died. After _that_ he'd been allowed to dress himself….mostly.

One last fluff of his hair, a quick fastening of the frog-clasp at his throat and he was Public Perfect once more.

"Don't take too long, Blaise," he admonished on his way out the door. "_You_ have a date waiting for you."

"I'm not going to feel sorry for you, Draco," Blaise called after him as he descended towards Common Room.

"I didn't ask you to," Draco muttered to himself sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants. Parchment crackled and his mood turned a little sour.

The clothes had come with a price tag. A letter from his mother. It was less than her usual chatty missives…but more. One line sticking out in his head.

"_Things are changing, Draco. For good or ill, stay alert."_

Worry settled sharply on his forehead and he wove through the jazzed chaos of Common Room without really noticing it. She was obviously concerned, but 'things are changing' made it impossible to define the threat.

Draco grumbled softly to himself. Wishing his mother would, for once, write him a letter that was straight forward and _helpful_. Instead of acting like The Enemy (whoever _that_ was) was reading over his shoulder.

The halls outside his House were cool and quiet. Quite the perfect place for worry to consume him into a full-on brood. But Draco was having none of it.

Tonight he was going to have fun and, if the opportunity presented itself, make his move to secure his new girlfriend.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth and didn't fight it. There were problems and obstacles to the relationship, some massive in scale…but dammit she was just so _amusing_! Oh true, she did have a date tonight, but that didn't bother him. Donovan and him were on…while not precisely _friendly_ term, still terms of a kind. It would be good enough.

Having successfully shaken off his gloom, Draco's stride took on a more distinct swagger as he paced towards the Entrance Hall. The closer he got the more people there were and not all of them his Housemates.

After a while the sounds of too many conversations in too little space rolled towards him through the dungeons, but even through all of that he was able to pick out one distinctly familiar voice.

"Oh really?" Pansy and, he tracked her words and finally found them, her…dates?

Three Ravenclaws circled her down a side hall and the girl herself looked something less than happy about it all. Draco hesitated.

"Look ,Slytherin-"

"That is the third time you've told me to 'look' and I'll ask you for the third time; Look at _what_, you pubescent bookworm!" she snarled back coldly.

So not a friend then. Draco growled a little in the back of his throat. How _dare_….

Straightening and putting on the frigid 'Malfoy' persona, he joined the group.

"Pansy," he greeted, sliding in next to her. "Early as usual. I apologize for making you wait."

She sent him a look that said 'I can handle this' and 'Thank you' at the same time.

"You're forgiven, Draco."

He inclined his head. "So, who're your friends?"

Pansy smiled. "They aren't," she replied cheerfully.

"_Really_?" Draco raised an eyebrow significantly and watched as all three paled. "Well, if they're not friends of yours, there's this one spell I've been dying to try."

He slipped a hand into his pocket where his wand was currently residing and grinned evilly.

"You wouldn't dare, Malfoy!" one particularly brave soul snapped.

Every fiber of his being demanded that he snap, "Wouldn't I?" and attack the other boys. But he'd been trained better than that. He slowly let all of the tension drain from his body and laughed.

It was, quite probably, the last thing they expected, and, as per plan, the sudden and random appearance of a laughing Malfoy completely freaked them out.

They shifted uneasily, exchanging glances, then, almost as one, they all turned and walked away…very quickly.

The instant the Ravenclaws were out of sight Draco sobered, his grin dropping into a scowl.

"Are you alright?"

Pansy's shiver was barely noticeable as she gazed after the three boys. "Fine."

"Good." Draco eyed the secluded hallway as if it was to blame. "Why were you down here?"

"I _was_ over there." She pointed at a well lighted crossroads farther down. "Waiting for my date."

"Date?"

"Yeah, Eddie Boles." Pansy frowned angrily. "_He_ was late. The Ravenclaws weren't."

"Yeah," he said noncommittally. "Come on. I'll find Milli for you."

Pansy nodded, resigned finality on her face as she took the arm he offered with a bow.

"Filch has been busy," she commented. The Entrance Hall had little up in the way of decorations, but the whole place practically shown. The high window lit the huge room, firelight reflecting off their dark surfaces.

Draco leaned closer to her to be heard in the chaos. "I doubt we'd be able to find a spot of dirt within ten miles."

"For all he's an annoying terror, he really is good his job," she replied politely.

Scanning the crowd, Draco spotted the clear space around his two cronies easily. "Come on. I see them."

He led her further into the room, guiding her and protecting her from the twisting, jostling throng. When Greg spotted them he used his well-earned reputation to clear the rest of the way for them.

"Goyle." He bowed Pansy off his arm and onto his dorm-mate's. "The lady needs looking after."

"Of course," Greg said immediately, looking at his new date in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she repeated with a sigh. "Just fine, but I'd like a _word _with Eddie if you _happen _to find him."

_She knows me too well,_ Draco decided. _She knows I'm going to go track him down._

"I'll keep an eye out. Good evening. Ladies." Draco inclined the top half of his body towards them and took his leave.

As he walked away he heard Milli ask, "So what happened?" He smirked. The story would be all over Slytherin House before the Ball was over. Eddie was in for it. And soon if Draco had anything to say about it.

He scanned the mass of humanity again looking for any of the sixth-year boys. He spotted Donovan easily, standing apart on the stairs, but as Draco approached, Alex cut across to join her date. Draco sighed, but now wasn't the time, so he went in searching of someone else.

He came across Hunter, chatting amiably with his date, just as the doors to the Great Hall slid open.

"Dethart!" he called, joining him amidst the rush into dinner.

"Good evening, Draco," Raya greeted kindly.

"My lady." Draco bowed. "Don't let me interrupt, I just wanted to know if you've seen Eddie."

Hunter frowned. "Not recently. Why?"

Draco's eyes sparked with anger. "He was _supposed_ to be escorting Pansy."

"Supposed to?" Hunter glanced over at the younger boy as he pulled his date closer to keep her from being run over.

"She got cornered by a trio of Bird Brains."

Hunter froze mid-step and growled. "I'll let you know if I find him," he snapped.

"I'd appreciate it." He smiled at the visibly angry girl. "Please don't let this upset your evening. I won't take up anymore of your time." Bowing yet again, he headed off.

After a few interesting moments of dodging and weaving, Draco found himself a seat. It wasn't exactly near anyone he knew, but it _did_ afford him a good view of the Hall.

The colors of the four Houses spun dizzily across the walls, separated by the muted colors of greenery that kept the vibrancy from becoming overwhelming. The Hogwarts Crest was also very much in evidence and while the whole show was rather ostentatious, it did come across with a quiet dignity that made what would have been offensive merely exuberant.

The Headmaster leaned forward and ordered his dinner from his plate.

It was the good cutlery, Draco noted as he breathed the pine-laden air and considered his options. There was no menu and Draco knew very well the culinary limits of house-elves. After a few moments silent of thought, he finally went with, "Calamari and scallops in a light burgundy wine. Oh, and twice baked potatoes with extra cheese. Sparkling white grape juice."

It all appeared with that distinctive white flash representative of house-elf magic and Draco hummed a single happy note. It wasn't often he got to eat exactly what he wanted when he wanted. Selecting a fork, he began picking slowly at the food. After a few minutes, a stray thought passed through his mind. _You know, it really is interesting how the color of the cheese contrasts with the color of the potato and the color of the skin._

It was then that Draco discovered just how _bored_ he really was. He resolved to fix that. Glancing around, he finally noticed that he really was completely isolated from everyone he knew. There were Slytherins scattered in his general area but they were all firmly entrenched with their dates.

Draco sighed. "Good thinking, Malfoy. Even Alex found a socially acceptable date."

His eyes fell upon a pair of Hufflepuffs engaged in animated conversation. The girl had straight brown hair that fell to a little past her shoulders and her dress was distinctly Muggle style. The boy on her right, Draco's left, was obviously her date and even more obviously not sure how to treat her.

"Aw," Draco whispered in a faintly grandfather-ish tone. "He _likes_ her."

The boy said something, causing the girl to hastily swallow her food. Draco was too far away to hear what was spoken…so he made it up in his head.

**"So, uh, the steak is really good."**

_:cough: "Is it?"_

**"…Yeah. Really juicy."**

_"Mhmm. Yeah, my chicken's good too."_

And Draco decided that realistic was even more boring that doing nothing.

**"Did you know,"** the boy asked gesturing to his plate, **"that I like steak rare because the juices on my plate remind me of blood?"**

_"Oh?"_ She leaned forward eagerly, spearing a bite of his meat. _"What kind of blood?"_

**"The blood of my victims."**

_"Human victims?"_

**"Of course. Are there any other kinds worth considering?"**

She laughed. _"No. Though I doubt you've killed more than me."_

**"Possibly…but do unborn children count?"**

The 'Ice Prince' jerked minutely in his chair. "Draco Malfoy, you are a morbid bastard, you know that? …Yeah."

So, as entertainment, and possibly punishment, Draco settled back to watch Alex and Donovan Baddock enjoy the feast.

* * *

.

A/N:

To "Sod off...etc": Briefly, when I posted that little whine hadn't updated to it's current form so there was no such thing as that stat(which I now have and love BTW). Plus, the counter is a little off, cause evertime anyone pulls up one of my chapters it counts up. So if you sat and read every chapter in a row, then it would add 39 to the total. I actually have over 2000 hits but I can't trusty it 100.

Also, I find it ironic. You envy me my almost 100 reviews, when I'm sitting here envying those mega-read stories with thousands of reviews.

**Anyway,** thanks to the HBP, work and now college, my updates will be a little longer apart, but me and my sister are always making each other feel guilty for not writing ever spare second so it won't stop completely.

If I don't have another chapter up by Sept 1st go ahead and find a chapter you haven't reviewed and chew the crap out of me for being so lazy.


	40. The Ball Part 1

Alex was floating on a cloud…well, sort of. Ever since they'd walked through the Hall doors, Mark had been the perfect gentleman, acting kind and attentive and making her feel beautiful. And the meal she'd let him order for her was absolutely delicious….

But for the love of Merlin, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. It was just a feeling and in a room this size it was impossible to pin down a culprit. But it still made her skin crawl.

Mark was, of course, all over it. "Are you cold, Alex?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a little. It was probably just a draft."

"Probably," he agreed.

She wanted him to insist on casting a warming spell on her gown. To which she would've objected as it would've been arrogant and controlling…and then they'd have had a fight. So why exactly did she want him to in the first place?

Alex decided that she was just going mad from the inbreeding. Yeah, that was a good enough excuse.

That thought trailed off and before she could dredge up another one, Dumbledore stood, almost abruptly. A wave of his hand and a genial invitation brought the rest of the students to their collective feet. There was a faint breeze as the tables retreated to the walls, clearing a dance floor.

The Headmaster waved his wand once more and a stage rose out of the floor. The Weird sisters took their places and the Champions stepped off the line with their dates and swung into the dance.

Alex sighed and languidly lifted herself free of her chair. "Let's make the rounds and get it over with."

"Will do. I think I spotted some of ours over there." He nodded left.

"Lead on." She took his arm. "So, yours, mine or social contacts?"

"What?"

"The people we're going to see. Your friends, my friends or necessary social contacts?"

"Oh. Either A or C, I think."

"Okay then." Alex started lining up expressions and topics of conversations for the approaching face-to-face.

"Don't worry," Mark whispered, leaning close to be heard, "they'll love you."

She sent him an amused look, but inwardly was gratified by it. He really was quite the sweetheart when it got right down to it.

"Do you think I care who likes me, Baddock?"

He just looked at her. "Yes."

The look Alex was sending him suddenly became less amused. Just because he was a bloody sixth year he thought he knew anything! "Oh, look," she said coldly, "it's Eddie."

Mark sighed with what she translated as pity. "Hey, Ed."

The other boy turned at his name and the two clasped hands.

"Mark…and the lovely Lady Bellmonte, of course." Ed took her hand and bowed over it.

"Good evening, Eddie. But," and here she reclaimed her limbs, from both boys, just to make her point, "where's Pansy?"

Eddie shrugged helplessly. "When I showed up where we were meeting she wasn't there."

"I see." Alex frowned. Pansy had left to meet him long before Alex herself had met up with Mark. She should have been more than on time. And not just that, Pansy was the very definition of 'social climber', though less odious than, say, her parents. She would _never_ show up at a social event alone. Never. Not when she _had_ a date, anyway. So what could've….

Before she could follow that thought to its logical conclusion, an arm dropped heavily across Ed's shoulder, physically jarring him.

"Edward," Hunter greeted in a falsely light voice. "Miss Bellmonte, could I possibly impose upon you to entertain Raya for a few moments?"

"You possibly could…. Could _I_ ask what this pertains to?" Alex replied, lightly linking arms with the other girl, who, strangely enough, didn't seem to mind getting passed off like this.

"I believe, Alex," Raya responded, "that the boys merely need to address _Edward's_ current…bachelor-hood."

Alex was nobody's idea of a fool. Her head and shoulders slowly drew back and up and she raised an eyebrow.

But Mark was no fool either. "Really? It's strange, we were just talking about that."

"Now that _is_ funny," Hunter commented.

"Not that funny," Alex snapped, though she didn't move out of courtesy for Raya. "What did you do with my dorm mate, you unpunctual cretin?"

"_Temper_, my lady," Charlie corrected, easily joining the group.

"I don't understand what you're all-"

"Shut up, Ed. You were late."

"Only a little bit late though. If Miss Parkinson got offended over that then-"

"You were thirteen minutes late," Hunter all but snarled. "Which was more than long enough for her to get set upon by three Birdbrains and need to be rescued by Draco."

Eddie, to his credit, paled brilliantly.

"Ladies if you will, kindly let the gentlemen handle this," Charlie said graciously, apparently the only one currently retaining the ability to speak.

"Of course," Raya replied for them both, leading Alex out of hearing range of the group. Edward was going to get a dressing-down-between-peers. It would only humiliate him to have women witness it.

"Set upon?" Alex asked in a low voice

"She's fine," Ray assured. "It was apparently all verbal, then Draco stepped in. Hunter and I stopped by and chatted with them for a few minutes."

"Them?"

Raya smiled. "Seems your mini-Malfoy not only saved her but he also found her a date."

Alex felt a faint pressure in her chest and swallowed to try and relieve it. "Well, she is his ex."

The older girl laughed. "You're not perfect, Alex Bellmonte. You should see your face right now! I just called him _your_ mini-Malfoy, did I not?"

She began breathing again and pretended nothing had happened. "So, who is she with?"

"Gregory Goyle. They're safely ensconced with his friend Vincent Crabbe and _her_ friend Millicent. None of them looked like they were planning to move anytime so-"

"Our deepest apologies ladies. We can do nothing but humbly beg your forgiveness," Charlie entreated.

To those who knew what to look for it was an interesting display of the class system within wizarding social hierarchy.

Charlie Warrington stood in front as spokesman, flanked by Mark and Hunter, both of lesser bloodlines than himself (though only slightly in Mark's case) and then trailed by Eddie, the Shamed One.

But beyond _that_, the four men sought out and approached the _women_ to beg their forgiveness out of more than just courtesy.

For as much as their society seemed to resemble a similar Muggle institution, there was one glaring difference. While an irate Muggle woman was something of a disturbance, there was nothing quite as terrifying as an irate witch.

Thus, women had gained equality and even a hint of dominance in some cases, much more so than in Muggle society.

And as the women registered the apology they glanced at each other once, calculating rapidly. Raya Della was of lesser blood than Alex, but she was older _and_ part Cromwell. The facts balanced almost evenly, leaving the question of who would take the lead up in the air. But it was nothing if not a familiar conundrum and Alex inclined her head slightly.

"Of course. You know you have it gentlemen." Raya gracefully offered Charlie her hand in assurance. He clasped it briefly before passing her off to her date.

Alex slid over to Mark and put her hand on his arm, smiling at him to show her agreement. He blinked and then smiled back.

"We'll see you later," Mark said strongly, steering her back into the crowd.

"If you can find us!" Charlie called after them.

Alex snickered and muttered, "We won't be looking hard."

Mark smiled at her again. "Welcome to my world…sorry about that."

"I'm getting the feeling I'll be saying that myself before this evening's over. So let's call it even."

"Ever as my lady desires. Where to next?"

"Pansy," she said without hesitation.

"I thought as much, come on."

* * *

"Incoming," Greg murmured.

Pansy scowled. Word had gotten out at break-neck speeds and ever since everyone with a connection to her or to Eddie had stopped by to 'chat for a moment'. Translated, that came to, "to check her over" and report back to the rest of the gossips.

It was annoying and getting worse by the chat. The only time Pansy got this kind of attention at a social function was when she pulled a stunt, and even then it wasn't this _much_ of this kind of attention.

"Alex and Donovan," Milli announced brightly. Pansy was suddenly grateful for her friends…even if the boys didn't technically count. They'd all taken to playing her bodyguards right off and were making the whole event she'd become bearable.

And at least this time it was one from each camp coming together. Two birds with one stone.

"Hey, Milli," Alex greeted, lightly hugging her friend like normal. "Boys. Pansy." She only offered smiles to the rest of them, retreating back to her date's arm…just like normal. Pansy frowned and looked at her dorm mate. Alex met her subtle gaze squarely.

Okay so Alex _did_ know and was here to check up on her, but she wasn't going to harp on it.

She let out her breath slowly in relief and felt her spirits start to recover.

"So, has anyone else had any problems with the Frenchies?"

They all groaned at Milli's remark.

Alex sighed. "More so than with the Bulgarians. Apparently Viktor's mates don't hold him in as high regard as his Headmaster does. Ever since I put him in his place, well they've been downright friendly…if a little scared of me."

"Not a one of those icy twigs has even given a hint of having manners, for all they whine about ours," Vince added.

"Stupid Barbarians," Donovan mocked in smooth French. "As if we can't understand them."

Greg laughed. "You're just sore that your bloodlines aren't good enough for them. You lot should've seen it. He was trying to be courteous and introduced himself. Their ringleader, that little wisp of a veela crossbreed looked him over and said, 'Baddock. Isn't that…Italian stock?' "

"I don't hit women," Donovan stated darkly.

"Don't feel bad, Mark," Alex consoled. "Even _my_ blood is inferior to them. And I _have_ a French branch of my family."

"_What_!" Milli exclaimed, staring at Alex. "But I thought you Bellmontes only…"

"The "One Marriage One Heir" rule? Yeah we do, but that doesn't mean _accidents_ don't happen."

The three boys exchanged a look.

"Yeah, that's it…accidents," Vince muttered as they all snorted into their fists.

"Oh shut up," Milli scolded, smacking her date on the arm.

"I mean, it's blood that counts." Alex continued blithely. "Look at it this way, if you all didn't acknowledge your bastard branches you'd be in pretty dire straits, no?"

Pansy nodded her agreement. "Who here has siblings?"

Only Donovan raised his hand. "A little brother, in his first year, and a couple of sisters even younger."

Even Pansy looked shocked.

"There are _four_ of you!"

Two children in a pureblood family wasn't unheard of, but four, or even _three_, was….

"You're related to the Cromwells, aren't you?" Alex queried.

That group was known for huge families. It was why there were so many of them in Slytherin at all times.

" 'Fraid not."

"Well," Milli huffed. "I, at least, take your point, Alex. We must compromise or we're screwed."

"That's not exactly it. I wasn't going anywhere near as deep." She shrugged. "I was just going to point out that I hope you want to get married. Otherwise even _your_ heirs won't officially count."

"Now, Lex," Vince flipped his hair and adopted his best Blaise impression. "what did I say about springing the word marriage on unsuspecting men?"

All six of them started laughing.

"And I think that's my cue to leave," Alex prompted.

Donovan smiled. "Would you like to dance?"

"My pleasure completely."

He started to lead her off and Alex cast a patented "isn't he just adorable" smile back at her girlfriends.

Milli rolled her eyes. "She's gonna end up with both a Consort and a fully stocked harem, isn't she?"

Pansy snorted, with only a touch of bitterness. "She's thirteen and has half of male Slytherin House wrapped around her littlest finger. What do you think?"

Wisely, neither of their dates answered the question.

"Incoming," Greg intoned.

* * *

_Man, it's hard to come up with new topics of conversation all the time._ Mark grumbled to himself as he led his date out onto the dance floor. He blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. It wasn't so bad with people he knew. He could say anything he felt to Hunter, etc without a care as to what they'd think. But this wasn't one of his buddies. This wasn't even one of his female friends.

This was a girl. An actual, honest to Merlin, girl. Who was cute and single and frankly intimidating, though she didn't seem to realize it.

Her hand was currently tucked trustingly into his as he led the way onto the dance floor. He was glad for the list of 'presentability' spells guys passed around to each other. Namely, the anti-clammy one.

He smiled at her as he pulled her around to face him. The current song was middle tempo, so they settled a half-step apart, Mark sliding his arm around her waist.

"So."

Alex's startling green eyes rose to look directly into his and she was smiling.

He swallowed. "Did you hear about the huge American National Quidditch Team scandal?"

Her loose black curls floated around her head as she moved to the beat, mesmerizing him…until she spoke.

"I couldn't tell you if America _had_ a Quidditch team." Alex wasn't frowning, but her smile was more polite and less happy. "I don't follow the sport."

"You don't follow _Quidditch_!" he asked reflexively, disbelief all over his face.

"Of course. Muggle sports are so much more entertaining." Her tongue traced a line over her top lip. "There's so much more blood…."

Mark felt himself freeze. What in the-?

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! I don't follow _any_ sport," she scoffed.

* * *

He was being obsessive. He knew it. He was bored, he was obsessing and he was annoyed at being obsessive. But, as he'd said, he was bored, so there was nothing to distract him.

Silver-grey eyes narrowed as a one Donovan Baddock, up until now a perfectly fine male companion in Draco's world, led her onto the dance floor. Neither one of them could see him through the crush, so he wasted no time glaring at them…well, not much time.

Someone jostled him from behind, making him stumble forward. Draco jerked back up and whirled on a pair of Ravenclaws. The boy he didn't know, but the girl was a prefect he'd had reason to meet before. She'd caught him out of bed, in a place he wasn't supposed to be, stolen medical potions and paraphernalia under one arm. For reasons he'd never been able to figure out she'd let him off.

So, he let his anger fade. "Keep a tighter leash on you boy-toy, Lisa. He might tackle someone more vengeful than I."

Then, because he couldn't help himself, he took her free hand and bowed, kissing the back gently. A harsh look of jealousy filled her date's face.

Lisa Turpin raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Malfoy. I'll be seeing you."

The two moved away, leaving Draco in the same proposition he'd been before. A new song started, one Draco had rigged as a warning. He'd lost track of Alex and Mark, so he waded into the dancing crowd.

They were just about where he'd last seen them. Mark saw him approach and something between resignation and relief was in his smile. Draco sniggered to himself, completely understanding it.

He tapped Alex on the shoulder. She turned and he bowed.

"May I cut in?" he asked formally.

Alex's eyes scanned him from top to bottom, then she smiled. "Of course. Don't you boys mind me." And her amusement was obvious as she stepped away from them both.

Draco saw understand reach Mark the same moment it found him.

"_Ever_ as my lady wishes," Mark said, heavily laced with sarcasm.

Draco wondered idly what Alex had been doing to the poor boy this evening. He didn't get a chance to ponder the question because Mark was bowing to him and offering him a hand.

"I haven't had near enough to drink," he protested, stepping into the other boy's arms and sweeping off into the dance.

Behind them he could hear Alex cracking up and a quick glance revealed that she was doubled over, barely keeping her feet.

"Let's keep this up until the end of the song," Draco prompted.

"What?" Mark chuckled. "Tired of my company?"

"Shut up, Baddock. I have an arrangement with the band."

One aristocratic eyebrow went up in amusement. "Oh?"

"This was the signal song. The next five are slow dances."

"Ah-hah." He glanced over at Alex, now off the dance floor and using a highly amused Greg as a support. "Well, you have my blessing. You two _deserve_ each other."

As the two boys swirled past her, Tara Cromwell whistled loudly, calling, "You go boys! Flaunt it!"

And they were attracting attention. Draco waggled his fingers at a group of unashamed starers.

As the song flowed to an end, Mark spun Draco one last time and let go.

"Have a good night, lovebirds," he said by way of leaving, having deposited Draco at Alex's feet.

Draco didn't waste any time talking. He swept Alex into his arms and back onto the dance floor.

"Lovebirds?" Alex scoffed as the slow strains of a sappy love song filled the huge room.

Draco looked her straight in the eyes. "Why not?"

They danced in silence, a dreadful uncertainty edging into her gaze as she searched his face. Then she scowled abruptly. "What are you playing at, Malfoy?" she demanded angrily. "You know very well-"

"What?" he interrupted, keeping his voice even. "The parental sized problems to all this?"

"Yeah," she snapped.

"They're obstacles, not impossibilities."

Alex bit her lower lip. "So, it's a challenge, and when have you ever backed down from a challenge?"

Draco swallowed and went for broke. "I _like_ you, Lex."

The disbelief and distrust was painful to watch, though Draco knew he'd be reacting exactly like she was if the positions were reversed.

Darkened green eyes narrowed. "You sure as hell had better not be lying to me, Draco. And no cheating on me, either. Don't forget, Blaise tells me everything."

It took him only a second to grasp what she'd said, though it was rather convoluted and she'd come at it sideways. It was all he could do not to break into a cheek-splitting grin. He settled for smirking widely. "The same goes for you then."

"With who?" she scoffed. "We Bellmontes are notoriously monogamous."

Unable to come up with a response that wouldn't get him into trouble, Draco leaned in and kissed her happily.

* * *

That's all folks. Occasionally I have to have something good happen to my babies. Next chapter, all hell breaks loose. Won't tell you why, but we see Blaise and Tania again. And if I get the inspiration I'm hoping to for this next bit, I should get out 3 chapters this month. Maybe. I make no promises. 


	41. The Ball Part 2

It was too good to be true, this moment of unblemished happiness and she really should've known better.

As usual, it was Blaise who grounded her back in reality. The worry in his eyes halted her steps, mid-dance, causing Draco to step on one of her feet. "I'm sorry, Lex! Are you..." the pale 'prince' trailed off when he noticed Blaise.

"She's gone, Alex." Another couple made a mad, last minute dodge of Blaise when he stopped with them in the middle of the dance floor.

"Who, Tania?" she frowned. "What did you do-"

"Nothing!" he looked about ready to tear his hair out. "She was happy! She was laughing. I went to get her a drink while she rested from all the dancing. When I came back she was gone."

"Well, did you-"

"Yes! The witnesses all said she left with her brother."

Alex stiffened and shivered against Draco's arm. "What brother?" she breathed anxiously. Blaise just shook his head.

Draco glanced between them. "What's wrong with Tania Dethart and/or her brothers?"

Alex looked up at him. "You've met Falon Dethart haven't you?" It was an entirely rhetorical question. He eyed her with exasperation.

"Come on," Alex grabbed both of their arms and pulled, "let's go find Mark."

Draco's expression darkened with a suspicion and jealousy that was entirely unbecoming. Fortunately Alex didn't notice, wading through the dancers and dragging the boys along behind her.

Blaise ignored the dirty looks they were getting, trailing along obediently. "Lex, umm..."

"He's either with Hunter or knows where he went," she tossed over her shoulder.

Draco's face cleared first to relief, then chagrin. Several long minutes were spent in fruitless searching before Blaise dug in his heels, stopping them all against one wall. "Alex, this isn't _working_!"

She didn't have time to do more than frown before Draco drew his wand.

"Donovan Baddock. _Point me_."

The length of ebony spun on his open palm to point unerringly towards the drink table. Blaise was off like a shot.

"Blaise. _Blaise!_" Alex called, racing after him. Draco kept pace, one arm around her waist, and together they barely caught him before he was lost in the crowd. "What's the hurry?"

"I...I don't know," he admitted softly, "I can't help thinking something is _wrong_! She wouldn't have just left like that. Not without having you or someone at least express her regrets." He didn't slow or even look over his shoulder as they power walked.

"Not of her own free will," Alex finished or him. She shivered again. "If I ever get my hands on that bastard..."

"Hey," Draco's arm tightened a little on her waist. She glanced at him. "What do you know that I don't?"

"We don't _know_ anything." Alex explained under her breath, "They're all too clever and closed mouthed for that. We have suspicions only and that nothing good."

She was going to say more but Blaise spotted their prey.

"Baddock!" he snapped, his voice tight. The duo leaving the drink table pulled to a stop and they saw Mark's companion.

"And Hunter. Oh _dammit_!"

"Nice to see you again too, Bellmonte," Hunter drawled.

"Shut it!" Blaise snarled. "Tania's gone. She left with 'one of her brothers' while I was getting her a drink. And since it obviously wasn't you..."

Hunter paled. "Oh _shit_!" Everything from murderous rage to despair to terror crossed his frozen face.

Donovan tentatively broke the silence. "Hunt..."

"Mark, make my apologies to Raya?"

"Of course," his friend said instantly. "What else can I do?"

"Uh..." Hunter cast around, appearing to be at a complete loss.

"Can you keep people out of the dungeons?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Hunter nodded, "round up the guys."

"Done. Let me know how it turns out." Mark vanished into the press of bodies.

They wasted no time.

"I've got a starting point to narrow the search a little," Blaise put in, almost on top of Mark's parting words.

"From there we can use the tracking spell," Draco almost physically interposed himself between the two boys, who were eying each other like two alpha males from different packs.

Hunter growled, "lead on, Zabini," and they were off again.

They moved, if it was at all possible, even faster through the room this time. Hunter and Blaise were out front, practically racing, though Hunter had no idea where they were going. Draco and Alex trailed them at just under a run, shooting quelling glances at anyone who dared object to being run over by the two boys.

Soon enough, at the speed they were going, it became clear where they were headed. A strange arrangement of tables and potted trees created a quiet little corner. It was somewhat hard to get into, thanks to the placement of tables, but as Blaise and Tania had discovered it made a good place to rest and retreat from the rigors of dancing and social interaction. Several other couples were using it for that purpose when the four of them literally burst onto the scene.

All the other students, however, were from the older grades and all of them were paired off and in various stages of making out.

Needless to say, no one noticed the four Slytherins.

"They said she went down there, somewhere..." Blaise pointed at a small door. It led into a small antechamber that, in its turn, led off in three directions.

Stairs spirals upwards on the right and two hallways branched away on the left. One of these stayed on the first floor. The other angled down into the dungeons.

"Stay by the door," Draco directed, balancing his wand across his palm again. He frowned and his eyes unfocused in the tell-tale sign of unspoken magic. "Tania Dethart..._Point me_."

Once again the wand spun. Father until it was a black blur then slower...slower...until at last it stopped...pointed directly at the wall.

"Drac-"

"Shh." Draco waved a preemptory hand at them. "Now we know she's on this floor and it'll keep shifting to track her as we move."

Alex nodded. "Good one. You'll have to show me that one later, Draco. Let's go." She linked arms with the blonde, making sure not to bump his wand hand and they strode out the level hallway. The sound of a fast scramble behind them preceded Hunter and Blaise catching up to the duo.

Slowly the light and noise of the Great Hall fell away behind them. It soon became difficult to see and, if the hall hadn't been perfectly straight, the floor perfectly level, no doubt someone would've tripped.

The length of ebony wavered and shifted in the semi-darkness. Draco, the only one who could se it at this point, jerked to a sudden stop and then started again. Dashing down a side hallway.

It all happened too fast for the rest of the group to follow. The other boys had to backtrack several steps and Alex barely managed to turn with him in time. She pivoted on one foot, her other leg swinging out to maintain her balance and hitting the stone corner. She winced at the jar and had to take a tiny sideways hop to keep from falling. The motion shook Draco, who glanced over as she whispered, "Sorry."

He looked at her soberly and shook his head. "No, _Lumos_."

A thin beam of light shot out from the tip of his wand, making it even clearer where they were going towards.

"Good thinking, Draco." The new light beam let the two boys race ahead impatiently.

"Thank you," Alex mouthed. She would've smiled, but the leaden weight of worry in her stomach prevented any such acknowledgement of his sweetness.

Draco smirked a little, to himself. She fought the desire to roll her eyes.

The wand shifted again and Draco called out, "Left!" just to make sure they caught the change.

Alex glanced at the darkness that seemed to close in behind them the instant the passed. That clenched, panicky feeling was still making the muscles in her neck and shoulders tense up.

"You do realize," her escort said quietly, "that we're heading for the outer wall of the castle."

"Yeah..." she bit her lip, "there aren't that many rooms this way. Could they be outside?"

In front of them, the sound of feet pounding against stone slowed to a stop.

Draco and Alex pulled up next to the boys at a four-way intersection of halls.

"Which way, Malfoy!" Hunter hissed, his breath ragged more from emotions than the run.

"I..." Draco shrugged and shook his head.

"Malfoy!"

He grimaced. "What do you want me to do!" Draco demanded, pointing.

The beam and the wand pointed directly at one corner, not even a little off center.

"Dragon shite!" Alex muttered, trying to think of a way out of this.

The most obvious, was, of course, to start calling for her. But that was too stupid to comprehend. If Falon got spooked he could kill her out of desperation.

Then, against the plan, wishes and better judgment of the rest of them, before anyone could stop him, Blaise opened his mouth...

"Blai-"

"Don'-"

and yelled, "_Tania_!"

Silence for one breath...two...

Faintly, muffled almost beyond recognition by the thick stone of the castle, a scream of pain reached their ears. They took off left, Alex hauling up her skirts to keep up.

It wasn't _pleasant_ to run full out in heels. That didn't mean it wasn't _possible_. Jolts of pain shocked up her legs with each foot fall, however they, thankfully, didn't have that far to run.

This hall paralleled the rooms that _were_ on the outer wall, from front to back, and it dead-ended against the wall itself. A small woodened door then led out into a small, secluded courtyard. It was used rather often during the summer for secret make out sessions. It wasn't used at all the rest of the time.

The heavy wood door slammed open thanks to attentions of three pissed Slytherin males. A second door directly across from this one thunked shut at the same time.

Falon had escaped out onto the grounds.

Hunter growled his fury.

"But where's-" Blaise went absolutely rigid. "..._Tania_."

At the sound of her name a thin whimper came from a darker patch of snow in the far corner.

"Ah, hell," Hunter whimpered himself in a voice choked with tears. He was at her side between one breath and the next, his hands hovering over her, but not daring to touch.

"I'm shite with healing spells," Draco said, canceling his Tania-finder spell and taking up a position where he could see both doors. If Falon dared come back...

Alex nodded, "Blaise-" he didn't move as she brushed past him to drop to her knees beside the other girl.

The snow drift was much deeper than she'd thought, completely covering her calves and knees. It was still snowing.

"Tania," Hunter murmured soothingly. He linked hands with Alex and they lifted her gently, just high enough that they could inch forward until their knees hit each other. Then they laid her back down so she was supported on their laps.

She whimpered again, pitifully, as they moved her.

Snow settled in her sticky dark hair. In fact, most of her felt sticky.

"Blaise, I can't _see_!"

The light of the moon and stars was completely blocked out by the thick could cover. She glanced back over her shoulder.

The boy she would've trusted with her life just stood there, unmoving in the snowfall.

"Draco! _Please_."

Looking at his dorm mate in concern, Draco spoke his spell. Spotlights with a steady, even glow appeared in the air above them.

Alex choked; it was both better and worse than she'd thought.

What she'd assumed to be bloodstains was, partially, Tania's gown, spread in taters around her. But there was still far too much blood. The smaller girl's body was covered in blood from cuts, boils and burns. There were several strange patched of skin where some curse or hex had gone wrong.

Hunter started to swear vehemently. Draco spared a glance from guard duty and his face darkened with a fury she was gratified to see. Tania's brother raised his wand, a healing spell on his lips.

"No!" Alex grabbed his wand hand.

For a long second, or a small eternity, Hunter looked like he was about to hit her.

"Don't be an _idiot_, Dethart," She snapped coldly to cover her fear, "You don't know all the spells he used any more than I do! You could kill her with the wrong kind of healing interacting with those unknown spells!"

"We have to do _something_!"

"Of course we do! Please, try and keep her warm, Hunter. I'll use blood magic to stabilize her so we can get her inside."

"How can you be so sure it won't react with the other magic?" he asked, though he didn't stop her from tracing a complex rune on Tania's forehead.

"Because," Alex shifted out of his way as Hunter pulled off his dress robes and wrapped his sister in them. "I'm using _her_ blood. It'll be the same as if she's healing naturally...she's just doing it really fast."

Tania tensed then relaxed into true sleep as the rune of blood first glowed them faded into her skin. Alex's expression became strained around the edges.

"_Mobilocorpus_." Hunter whispered after a few minutes and some of the worst, purely physical damage began to fade. He rose slowly to his feet as Tania floated slowly, bonelessly up into the air.

Alex jerked to her feet, staggering a minute as the cold in her legs affected her balance. Her anger kept her upright, though, and she only stumbled once on her way over to Blaise.

"_Blaise_!" she snapped, slapping the frozen statue of a Slytherin across the face. "Get a Frickin _hold_ of yourself! You're on point, Draco will follow behind. Make sure nobody sees us!"

She hadn't realized how much blood she had on her hands until she saw the bloody print on Blaise's cheek. Alex felt immediately guilty as he snapped out of his paralysis and gave her a look so full of anguish it made her want to cry. But he gave her no chance to apologize, taking point as she'd ordered, and moving out the door into the castle.

Alex winced and tried to ignore a headache as she took her place next to Tania's head.

"_Ignis_." A flash of flame incinerated the spot of snow that was soaked in blood.

"Don't forget the-" Alex never finished her reminder to Draco as the courtyard plunged one more into darkness of a starless night.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that was one long scene. I told you all hell broke loose. Yay for Plot twists.

Lots of yelling the next chapter.


	42. The Ball Part 3

A/N: Well, it's been over 2 years! To say the least I had no idea my "little break for a couple of weeks" would turn into this. In my defense real life firmly battered me over the head with a board. But that's neither here nor there. After I got several reviews and PMs recently(I won't name names but y'all know who you are... many thanks and HUGS! ) I realized I should at least take another stab at this. At the very least I could finish Year 4, so here goes nothing.

I cannot promise regular updates(not like I used to) but I will try and make them timely.

Lastly, I have actually had this chapter, complete and finished, since that September all those years ago(2005). I didn't _know_ I had it until I went back through my files about six months ago but I did. Ah well. ::shrug::

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Alex, but if anyone wants her feel free... seriously. She scares me in my own head. ;)

* * *

They brushed past one of Hunter's dormmates, Alex couldn't tell which one in the dark, but the finger she pressed briefly to her lips in a plea for silence was acknowledged with a sharp nod and they continued on unmolested. 

And though they were now inside a line of protection in the form of wand-wielding teenage boys, the appearance of the sharply superior Slytherin portrait was never so welcome.

A quiet, "Merry Christmas" from Blaise, (who ever said Slytherin passwords were mean?), and they were inside.

As promised the Common Room was empty. No one had gotten past Hunter's gang, meaning Falon hadn't...yet at least. Alex spared a half-second of worry for the boys standing guard, before refocusing on Tania again. Fire crackled to life automatically on the huge hearth, warming the room pleasantly after the bone-biting cold outside.

"Put her on the couch," Draco suggested. "we might need the room."

"Agreed." Hunter moved his wand, lowering Tania gently onto the plush furniture. What was left of the ball gown bunched around her still form. Alex wrinkled her nose.

It couldn't be comfortable.

"Someone get me the blankets off your bed," Alex knelt beside the couch and began undoing buttons. "And Blaise, could you please summon my Kit? You know what it looks like."

All three boys vanished from her sphere of attention, though she'd only given two orders. Blaise stood at the bottom of the girl's stairs with his wand out, but it was still Hunter who returned first, his arms loaded down with thick fabric.

Under their cover Alex finished stripping Tania of her rags and tucked the heaviest, feather-down blanket around her.

"Here," Hunter put a soft towel in her empty hand. "You chafe her hands while I get her feet. She's too cold." His gaze slipped to some middle distance. "Too cold..."

"Sure thing Hunter." Her voice snapped him back to his task.

A minute later Draco reappeared with a heavy wooden chest a foot across and half that deep. Without waiting to be asked he dropped it onto the low coffee table and set to work on Tania's other hand with a corner of the blanket.

"She seems better now," Draco said softly as Blaise added the other healing kit next to Draco's on the table. "Could we let her sleep it off?"

"She's still under curse," Blaise pointed out as Alex shook her head.

"And for all we know leaving them could be just as bad as trying to deal with them with the wrong counter." Hunter's gaze never left the slowly pinking flesh between his fingers as he spoke, his face so full of worry that it hurt to look at it.

"If we can get her to wake up she can tell us what he did, problem solved. But I don't know if she will..." Alex's eyes flashed darkly. "Of course if we had The Bastard's wand we could find out what he did."

"No!" all three boys shouted at the same time.

"I'll sit on you if I need to, Lex," Draco warned.

"Try it!" she hissed without any real heat.

"Maybe next time we're alone," he placated.

Alex snorted and turned back to the patient. "Okay then. Come on Tania. Wake up."

To their immense surprise, it worked. Her lips twisted in annoyance and she whimpered, "Noooo..." in a way that fairly begged for 'just five more minutes'.

"Tania Marie Dethart," Hunter intoned.

"Bu'...Hun'er I don' _feel_ good." Her deep brown eyes flickered open, then screwed up in the corners in pain.

"We know, sweetheart, but we need to know what's wrong with you so we can make it better," Alex said with an almost furry softness in her voice, that none of them, but Blaise, had ever heard before.

She lightly placed a hand on the other girl's forehead to gauge her temperature. Tania winced and stared.

"Why..."

"Blaise was worried, sweetheart, so we came and found you."

Tania froze. A million things flashed across her battered face in that moment, mostly boiling down to fear, betrayal, fury and shame.

There was an awkward silence during which everyone tried to figure out what to say. Strangely, it was Draco who spoke first.

"Hunter couldn't have stopped us from coming, Falon is a bloody son of a bitch and this isn't your fault. No one thinks less of you." It was crisp and matter-of-fact and he met her eyes unblinkingly as he said it.

Tania swallowed. She looked back at him in only partial comprehension and shrugged minutely. " 'Kay."

Hunter winced. "She...she regresses when it's particularly bad."

"So do I," Blaise admitted, no one missing the implication that this was a common event.

"Tania, sweetheart," Alex murmured, "do you remember how Falon cut you? Was it a knife or a spell?"

"U-u-ummm," Tania turned her head towards the back of the couch.

"Tania, sweetheart. I won't tell." Alex carefully took one of Tania's hands. The other girl hesitated.

"I didn't tell about your project did I?"

"Mmm...no?"

"That's right, sweetling. I didn't. So could you tell me?"

"B-..." she paused like she was trying to think, "b-both. F-F-Fal-..._he_ d-drew wi' his w-wan'."

Alex's back tensed but her expression didn't change. Sheer force of will. "And...did he give you any potions, sweet?"

"No," Tania sounded a little more sure of herself this time. It made sense, considering what Blaise had said about Tania's affinity for potions in general.

Alex nodded, not demeaning Tania by asking her if she was sure. "Okay, good girl."

"That's easy enough then," Hunter said quietly, his eyes finally leaving his sister's face to glance up at the rest of the crowd. "I can take care it from here."

He slipped his arms underneath Tania and lifted her, blankets and all. She whimpered in pain.

"Here," Alex practically dove into her kit and grabbed a dark green vial. With careful fingers she opened it and held it out to Tania.

The younger girl looked at it, then at Alex in a way that made Alex remember how disdainful she'd been when she found out Alex hadn't read Potions of the 13th Century. "Snape made it," Alex clarified. "Back when I...fell on my way out of the Quidditch stands last year. It's for the pain."

Tania still didn't look enthused, but she allowed herself to be dosed with the potion anyway.

"Thank you," Hunter all but mouthed, walking away with his sister.

The trio didn't reply as he made his way up the stairs to the boys dorms.

"So much for this," Draco hefted his own medical kit and followed in Hunter's footsteps, heading back to his own dorm. Blaise followed silently and, after banishing her Kit back to her room, so did Alex.

* * *

**THUD.**

The door was not shut kindly. Draco glanced up from sliding his kit back under his bed to see Alex, apparently not satisfied with that kick the door viciously.

"Stop it!" Blaise snarled.

"I will not!" she snapped back, repeating the noise a third time.

"Alex-"

"Don't you side with him, Draco Malfoy!"

"Oh _please_!" Draco threw up his hands and passed her to yank the door back open. "I'm going to go call in the watch dogs. Please be finished murdering each other by the time I get back!"

Frustrated as his words were, the Draco slid the door quietly shut. A pale hand grabbed it before it could settle against the frame and her skirt whipping around her ankles, Alex dashed after him.

"Oh sure! Walk out on me, Malfoy!" she shouted after him, her feet pounding down the steps even as he vanished out into the hallway. "Merlin only knows you don't care! After all, what's she to you?! Nothing, that's what!"

And though the blonde reappeared in the room her yelling didn't quiet. "You sodding stuck up piece of-"

"Cut it out!"

Alex froze. "Excuse me?"

Blaise strode forward from his spot on the stairs. "Cut. It. _Out_ Alex!"

"I will _not_, Blaise Frederic Zabini! I will say whatever I want whenever I want to!"

"Then do it in your own dorm!"

Her eyes flashed. "I'm pissed off and you're being a jackass!"

Blaise scowled and slouched back against the stone behind him.

"Immature," she scoffed.

Silence pressed in around their heads, both trying to hold their tongues as people, unnoticed to the combatants started to file in. Mostly people from their own group. Those who knew something had gone wrong.

But then Alex burst out with, "Merlin's beard, I'll rip his vocal cords out of his throat with my bare hands!" She flexed her hands in front of her face as if preparing to do just that. "I'll deprive him of his ability to sire children and break every bone in every finger, toe and appendage he's got!"

"He ought to be crucified!" Blaise snapped.

"Flayed alive. Impaled on a pike!"

"Snogged by a Dementor!" Blaise bared his teeth.

"Agreed!"

His head snapped up. "Don't you dare agree with me you bitch!"

Alex's expression fell flat. "I'll agree with whatever I damn well please, Zabini!"

Blaise lurched forward off the wall and stuck his face in hers. "You're just a stupid little girl, Alexandra. With a bad case of arrogance and nothing to back it up! If you weren't rich-"

"At least I _am_ rich in my own right! What do you have? No money, no pride, no brains in that pretty little head. I suppose it's a good thing you like whoring yourself out, cause otherwise-"

He grabbed her shoulders painfully, his face tense and white. "You dammed Blood Mage!"

Alex inhaled harshly through clenched teeth. "I am _no_," she slammed her heeled shoe down on the top of Blaise's soft dancing shoes, "damn," then jerked one of her arms free, "Blood Mage!" and slapped her best friend across the face.

If he had been pissed before, it was nothing to his expression now. Blaise didn't even flinch from the physical abuse, his face darkening to fury. Without missing a beat he began to swear at her in a conglomeration of French, Italian and Japanese.

The insults ranged from comments about her intelligence to cheap slurs against her mother, blood line and magical and sexual preference...or lack thereof.

"I speak seven dead languages and at least three times as many living ones, Blaise," Alex said softly, her face far too calm. "Yet I find there are quite a few things that are best expressed without words."

Locking eyes with him Alex drew her wand in one hand and a tiny throwing knife in the other. She hesitated for a second then cast them both to the ground behind her.

Blaise grinned in a way that could, and had, scared small children and discarded his own wand. "You're a sad, sorry excuse for a witch."

"Putain!(1)" Alex threw herself at him, shoving him off balance.

Blaise grabbed her wrist as he stumbled but she yanked it away from him despite the sharp pain it caused her. The girl got behind him as he regained balance and wrapped her arms across his throat.

He grunted and leaned forward, his hands reaching up to grab her arms. Alex fought him, pulling with all her weight, but making little progress. Her chest began to hurt from most of her weight, which it was currently supporting against his back.

"Al_ex_!" Blaise snarled, swinging to his side and dropping her off onto the stone floor. She caught her nails across his cheek as she fell. The cold stone jarred her spine and she sat for half a second, stunned. Above her Blaise merely scoffed.

"Whore!" she snapped again, surging to her feet and straight at him. He sidestepped lightly and she went flying past, towards the stairs.

And in one solid move Vince caught Alex as she tried to stop, holding onto her as she tried to turn and get back at Blaise.

"Alex!" Draco said, surprised.

"Get...get _off_ me!" Alex snarled, pushing at Vince's hands. He looked down at her, and met her blazing eyes calmly.

"Do you really want me to?" he asked.

"Let her go, Crabbe," Blaise suggested in a low mocking tone. "I'd love to see her try again. Pathetic little-"

"Zabini." One of the older boys in Donovan's gang said warningly. Probably Donovan himself, but there was no proving it, clumped together as they all were.

"Mark, I think Hunter may need you," Draco cut in with the politely phrased command.

The fifth year nodded and made for the stairs, followed by his year mates.

Still breathing hard in Vince's arms Alex all but wailed, "But it isn't _right_! Hogwarts is supposed to be _safe_!"

Blaise stopped looking furious, instead just looking deeply, deeply angry. "Apparently not anymore."

Alex scoffed, finally extracting herself from Vince. "Apparently it never was!"

* * *

A/N: 

Putain: French for hooker/whore.

PS: If you'd like a summary of what's going on(so you don't have to completely reread it all) just drop me a line and let me know. I can pound one out for you.


	43. Aftermath

A/N: Holy crap! People still read this thing. Who knew? THANKS y'all. :huggles:

Anyway, I want to say a specific thanks to Teg. I had no idea I was missing a scene break in Chapter 7. My apologies. I'm intending to go back through the already posted stuff and do a whole bunch of polishing edits, so if anyone else noticed(or notices) anything you think needs fixing please let me know. I write fanfic as a way to improve my writing skills (and because I'm minorly obsessed with certain universes) so I welcome all comments, positive, negative or harsh.

PS: I reposted chapters 7 and 8. 7 has only minor edits and some shuffling of the description, but 8 has a whole knew scene from Draco's POV because I realized that _I_ knew his motivations but I didn't state them in the fic itself.

PPS: This was my first new chapter after not writing this story for 2 years. It's a little rambly. Bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own and make no moneys from my babies.

* * *

Alex scrubbed her face, uncaring, for once, that she was admitting via non-verbal cues, that she was tired. It wasn't that she hadn't been able to sleep, that wasn't a problem that plagued her often. Even when she didn't want to, when she knew the nightmares were coming, she still fell asleep as if she were an innocent child. No her problem, last night, had been that every time she had fallen asleep she'd begun to dream. And in the dream she was suddenly faced with a younger female housemate that she needed to protect from physical attack on a long term basis. Basically, even asleep her brain kept circling the unpleasantness of last night over and over again. Her body might have rested but mentally, she was exhausted. And it didn't look like she'd be getting much relaxing done today. If she didn't get this problem solved to her own satisfaction, which tended to differ from other peoples levels of satisfaction, she would be bothered by it until she did. 

The thing was, the whole thing was complicated. First there was the fact that the Detharts were purebloods. Oh, one of the lesser Houses to be sure, but Pure nonetheless. And thus they were all bound by the Rules by which one member of the Society must interact with another member of Society. Most of which were highly antiquated. So, because Tania was an unmarried, younger female in the Dethart Family, an older male had the right to do pretty much anything he wanted to her. That particular rule didn't apply to Bellmontes, of course, because of their female succession but it wasn't in general use with most anyone else either. Most pureblooded witches just wouldn't put up with it.

Tania, the poor child, didn't seem capable of standing up for herself. Or, also possible, there was a reason she didn't dare hit back. A more powerful figure, like one or both parents, could support the behavior, or Falon could have some sort of control over her, blackmail of some kind.

Second, not one of their Families was closely connected with the Detharts. If, for example, Tania had been from a second or third line in the Zabini Family Alex could very easily step in. The Zabinis and the Bellmontes had been allies for centuries, though it was true that it hadn't generally been because of a close personal relationship like she had with Blaise. Mostly it was because the Lord Zabini, whoever he was at the time, had no trouble working with a dominant female. It was the House least bothered by the reversed gender roles in terms of succession. Oh that wasn't to say that-

Alex shook her head. Merlin, she needed sleep! Okay, first, Tania was technically under Falon's control according to the Rules. Second, there was no inter-House connection for them to exploit. Draco might have a chance talking Falon out of it if he invoked his Father's authority; since Lord Dethart was a known Malfoy wanna-be. But that would be tipping quite a few of his cards and Alex couldn't honestly see Draco being willing to do so. Not for some barely known entity like Tania.

Hell, Alex wasn't sure _she'd_ be willing to expose that much to save Tania. She wanted the girl safe but she wanted herself safe even more. Stepping out that far on the branch...unless everything went perfectly, and Falon was a bigger moron than anyone Alex had ever met, Draco might as well be baring his throat to the enemy.

No. It wasn't going to happen. They didn't have a leg to stand on in terms of a straight forward approach. They couldn't just blast the little snot into the wall.

"Mores the pity," she muttered.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Bellmonte?"

Alex glanced up at Professor Snape, noted him taking note of her condition. She smiled faintly. Gods she loved to hear him talk in that particularly dry tone. It was so familiar that it was soothing, no matter what the actual words were. She briefly considered casting a spell to help her get to sleep. Just a simple recreation of his voice from memory, playing in a loop over and over. _Ten points from Gryffindor, Mister Potter. Ten p_-

"Miss Bellmonte? Care to join us back on _this_ planet?"

To her horror she felt herself blush faintly. Sweet Merlin! It wasn't like she'd been having inappropriate thoughts about him or anything. She covered with a brilliant smile and chattered, "So sorry, Professor. I was just trying to recall the exact ingredients in my grandmother's memory potion. It would help keep important things, like the fact that it's Christmas break and thus we aren't in class, from slipping your mind. I understand how, at your age, keeping track of the details might become a challenge."

Much to her delight, Alex caught sight of those two tiny creases on the corners of his eyes and the faint twitch of his lips. "When you've succeeded in recalling the specifics of the potion, create a report and have it on my desk by the time we resume classes." It was said as if he were punishing her for her impertinence...but if he'd been Blaise he would've winked at her.

Alex nodded sharply, dimpling. "Yes, sir, Professor Snape."

Without another word he turned and headed out of the Great Hall. As if being hit in the back of the head by a flying broom, Alex suddenly realized she was being stupid.

"Wait! Professor!" she all but tumbled out of her seat and, leaving her books, dashed to catch up to him. He paused and turned, with an air of bare sufferance. She looked up at him. "Professor, I need to show someone the error of his ways, but I can't just tell him he's being a moron and blast him into a wall."

"I assume we aren't talking about, Mister Malfoy."

Alex snorted. "Him I can call an idiot and blast into walls...with all due respect. Professor."

Instead of reacting like she expected Snape just looked down at her and shook his head as if she were suddenly a very slow student. "Then remove all opportunity for him to repeat the error, Miss Bellmonte."

For a single, brief, instant Alex wanted to whine, _"But that's _hard_ Professor!"_ Fortunately for her, Snape was well out the door before that desire became fully formed. She ruthlessly quashed the feeling. Even if he had still been standing there, it wouldn't have helped to say it. The best outcome she could hope for would be a slightly sympathetic, disgusted stare. More likely would be a completely vicious tongue lashing, involving the words "Hufflepuff" "Gryffindor" "fool" and the phrase "status in life" at least twice and _then_ he'd start getting mean.

Alex grinned just imagining it...mostly because she wasn't having to experience it. She waved a hand behind her, the books she hadn't been paying any attention to obediently forming into a pile. A single sharp motion of her wand, a word, and they dashed across the room into her book bag. She shouldered it and considered levitating it behind her. Alex shrugged it higher instead and started walking. One indulgence led to two which led to weakness in the long run.

"Hey, Bellmonte! Have you seen Blaise?"

"Nope," she called in response, not even bothering to glance and see who had asked. If she had to take a guess she'd say he was in his room, probably passed out drunk trying to block out dreams brought on by last night's drama.

She frowned. What was wrong with her? It felt like her brain was in a million places. _Why_ couldn't she concentrate? This was important! Alex grabbed a hank of hair and pulled on it, hard enough to hurt but just shy of actually pulling out hair. Physical pain was one of the things that was always, _always_ real and it gave her a tangible focus.

"Alright. Make it so that Falon can't hurt Tania anymore even if he wants to." she muttered, her pace unconsciously speeding up in time with her narrow flow of thoughts. "So when and why would be exert control over himself? Why would he _not_ hurt her?"

She wrapped the strand of hair around one finger, still pulling. "Well, when Professors are around. He knows that physical abuse, whether it's his sister or not is against the rules, and he has to abide by the rules of the school if he wants to graduate. Apple Cider."

Alex felt a wave of heat wash over her as she stepped, unseeing into the Slytherin Common Room. Clearly someone had been messing with the temperature controls, but she didn't care. Alex much preferred to be warm.

"Hey, Alex."

"But it's not like I can sew the hems of their robes together. Not and live to tell about it. Hell, I don't even think Snape would be my main concern if it came down to it."

A large, human type shape was suddenly in her path and she only had time to start registering that fact before she barreled into it.

"_Hi,_ Alex."

A large hand easily lifted her overstuffed book bag from her shoulder. Alex glanced back and Vince winked at her. In front of her Greg bowed slightly. "Won't you join us?"

She wrinkled her nose, tugging on the lock of hair. "I'm trying to think about something right now boys..."

"Ah, thinking. A rather odious task last I heard." the words dropped out of Vince's mouth like a well used reply, which it probably was.

She looked down at her books bag, which he was swinging lazily in one hand. "I'm not getting that back unless I let you bother me am I?"

Vince paused, as if he actually hadn't considered that angle before. In a sweeping motion Greg grabbed the bag and held it out. "Of course you can...but come on, two brains are better than one."

Hands closing around soft leather straps Alex considered. "There are three of us you know," she commented neutrally.

Greg glanced at Vince, then back at her and grinned. "Would you like the big chair or the sofa?"

She glanced at both options and decided the matter by simply dropping onto the couch. A soft blanket was draped over the back and she tucked it around her legs at the boys sat themselves.

"Alex, it has got to be 80 degrees in here!"

She waved a finger. "It is _winter_, Vince. Cold, nasty winter."

"Bringing us back to a common point of conversation," Greg interjected.

"Alright." Alex felt some of her revived spirits start to fade. "So, Professor Snape, no details involved, says that the best thing to do is to remove all opportunities for Falon to get to her. And you _know_ he wouldn't do a damn thing around a Professor but..." she sighed.

"Ah!_Now_ the robes comment makes sense. Funny too even." Vince said with a half smirk. "But you're right. We were thinking, yeah, yeah I know it hurt, but we were thinking about the same thing, just substitute you and Draco for the Professors. But that's probably a worse prospect."

"Why?"

"Well, unless by some fluke all the class times and locations match up..."

"Which we can't know until we get a hold of Tania's class schedule somehow."

Alex scowled. "Now see. I _knew_ this was going to be harder than Snape made it sound. Is Hunter still upstairs?"

* * *

A boy who was a bare few inches shy of six feet at fourteen was impressively tall. A boy of that height and age with enough meat on his bones to qualify for heavy weight wrestling was down right intimidating. Two of them put together...well sometimes they made small children cry. But Greg and Vince had been friends too long, and had the muscle too long not to realize how they made other people feel and they generally made an effort to tone down the effect. 

Not, of course, when they were running around playing "Draco's Brute Squad", but most of the rest of the time. It was for the same reason that Draco didn't use his Malfoy Ice Prince aura all the time. That kind of power was necessary only at certain times. It was unintelligent and unSlytherin to use their brute force to gain them every little thing they wanted. Mostly they just kept people thinking they were pea brained brutes because it suited them. No one would ever suspect them for being behind their more subtle work if no one thought they were mentally capable of it. Of course that idiocy did not translate into the classroom.

"She is _not_ quiet, you know?" Greg said beneath the clatter of Alex's heels on the stone stairs.

"I honestly can't believe they made it out of Moody's house alive if those are her sneaking abilities."

"I know. I'm surprised-" He stopped as he heard a very faint sound, like cloth over stone and turned.

Tania Dethart was twisted on the stair two above them, clearly attempting to make a break for it back up to the girl's dorms.

"Now_she_ is quiet," Vince muttered.

"Wait," Greg held up his hands flat and empty in front of his chest. "We're friends. Of Alex and Hunter. They asked us to hang around near you if you go outside Common Room."

That was what they'd worked up together as their opening line. One person doing all the talking to help her forget that there were two of them. For some reason Vince seemed to think that Greg was "less threatening". Weird. Slowly, very _very_ slowly Tania's look of Cornered Prey faded and finally she sighed very softly in what sounded like relief.

"Why?" she asked slowly.

Greg met Vince's gaze. That was an interesting question considering their opening statement. But it made some sense that she'd know they weren't that close to either Alex or Hunter.

"Frankly," he said, taking the chance of looking her straight in the eye. "We don't like your brother. Falon Dethart is one of those sickly throwbacks that should be pruned from the family tree."

"Not to mention he's annoying," Vince added. "You, on the other hand have yet to annoy me, at least not enough that I remember it. That's good enough for me."

"Besides," Greg let a tiny bit of humor show in his face. "We were hoping you were hungry, which would be a perfectly good excuse to have a second breakfast."

Greg might, _might_ have seen a flash of amusement slide into her eyes before she ducked her head and nodded. "I...I'd like breakfast."

"Your wish, m'Lady," Vince murmured with a bow, crossing the room ahead of them and opening the portrait door. He was going to walk ahead and keep an eye out for Falon, hopefully heading him off before Tania even saw him, while Greg settled in a couple of paces behind her, or possibly next to her, depending on what she was comfortable with.

"What he said," Greg commented ingeniously, stepping back so she wouldn't feel crowded, or like she had to go past him in order to get down the stairs.

Again he might have heard a very tiny snort, but with her hair concealing her face, and muffling any sounds it was near impossible to tell.

* * *

In the end the Plan was a lot simpler on its face than it would be in practice. But then, it would be a lot simpler in practice than it was going to be to convince everyone of what should happen. Alex pondered whether a little snack break right now would be a bad thing. 

"Oh no you don't," Blaise said grumpily from his spot in the corner. He and Draco had both been sound asleep...read as "passed out"...when Alex had invaded, dragging Hunter and his gang of miscreants behind her. Greg and Vince, having already agreed to their part of the Plan were currently escorting a pale, shaky Tania down to the kitchens for some early afternoon breakfast.

Draco glanced over at him. "No what?"

"She had her mad-dash-for-freedom look on her face. And if I have to be awake with this hangover then you have to say whatever it is you don't want to say."

"Damn! Is he going to whine _all_ day?" Charlie asked drawing his wand. Reaching out he whacked Blaise over the top of the head with it. Blaise winced, then his face and eyes cleared rapidly. He pulled himself up straighter.

"You have _got_ to teach me that."

"Enough!" Hunter jerked up off the wall, which he had been steadily supporting since he'd come in. "Right now my sister is being watched over by two potentially trustworthy cronies and you're wasting time with_hangover cures_?!"

"Get used to it!" Alex snapped, cutting off both Charlie's annoyed retort and Draco's defense of his best friends.

"What?"

"Well shut up for a second and I'll tell you." she sighed. "It's not like I've spent all morning working on this with Greg _and_ Vince _and_, anonymously, Professor Snape."

After another minute of useless commentary and grumbling the boys sorted themselves out."Now, to get all the dirty work out of the way, gentlemen," Alex waved a hand at Hunter and his surround of friends. "you all are useless for this. For whatever reason, His Odiousness is not afraid of you Hunter."

"I have theories on that," Blaise muttered.

Alex shot him a glare, but he was too busy eyeing Hunter to notice. "Good for you," she snapped instead, before firmly taking herself in hand. "Therefore it stands to reason that he wouldn't be entirely concerned about your companions. Not, that is, as afraid as he would be of us." She pointed to herself, then Draco, Blaise and Greg and Vince's empty beds. "You see, we can't force him to stop hurting Tania. As usual there's no straightforward route on this one. So, instead we have to force him to control himself. He doesn't care about the good opinion of Hunter's friends because he already considers then off limits. But he's rather desperate to cultivate good relations between his Oh So Wonderful self and those of his peers with better connections or more power than him."

"Damn obviously desperate," Draco sneered, making a tiny flicking motion with his finger as if he were removing a bug from his person. "When I consider the list of things he's overtly and covertly offered to do for me..."

The look on Draco's face made Alex wince. "Ew. Ew. Eeeew. Do _not_ finish that sentence, Malfoy."

"So, you think he'll control himself if one of you three, or five, is around?" Charlie asked, looking sideways at Hunter for confirmation.

The older boy took a deep breath. "In all honesty, it could work. He would barely even notice her standing there if he was busy trying to impress one of you. But it's not a long term solution."

"It's not meant to be," Alex tried not to feel defensive as she pointed it out. "It's supposed to be our very best option right now, considering the limited time we have to come up with a solution."

"Besides," Blaise drawled before anyone could reply, "while we're spending all this time with Tania, using our glorious selves to shield her one or more of us can be forming friendships with her. Once she's the close personal friend to the Heir of the Zabini House and Line..." He paused and shrugged. "Well there's your direct route of intimidation."

Alex let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That's_genius_. Blaise, darling, marry me!"

"Alas my sweet I have but one love, and if Draco won't have me then I shall have no one. Even your vibrant energy is no match for his pale beauty." Blaise collapsed onto the mussed sheets as if love sick.

Draco lifted an eyebrow but held his peace. Apparently this was not the first time Blaise had made that type of declaration to him.

"Vibrant energy, huh?" Alex twirled a strand of hair around her first finger. "You know, if I didn't love you I'd kill you for that."

"My sweet, if you didn't love me I'd have killed myself a long time ago."

"Oh don't be morbid," she commanded, charming Draco's pillows to whack continually at Blaise.

"Hey!" the boys both protested at once.

"Hmph," she scoffed wordlessly and began to fluff her hair as if there wasn't another single thing in the room to occupy her attention.

"_Children_!" Hunter's voice cracked out harshly.

They all paused mid-motion, though Alex's pillows kept swooping at Blaise. "What?" Draco asked for them all.

"How do you expect to protect my sister if you can't even stay on topic for two minutes?" he all but snarled.

Blaise glanced at Alex who shrugged and answered in a faintly insulted tone, "What's the point? There's nothing else to do until Greg and Vince get back with Tania. Then we can all discuss schedules, paths to and from class etc. We can't do anything _now_."

Hunter looked like he was holding in some serious anger, but somehow, at the same time, he looked like a balloon someone had stuck with a pin. Deflated. He waved a hand as if dismissing them all.  
"Come on boys," Mark shrugged off his wall and waved open the door. "Let's not ruin Miss Bellmonte's reputation."

With only minor grumbling, after all why had they all needed to get up early in order to hear that they were useless and unneeded, the older boys filed off, dragging Hunter along with them through sheer momentum.

"Yeah like _you all_ are the people I'd have an orgy with," Alex muttered, only realizing she'd said it out loud when Mark threw her a wink. Fortunately this time, unlike earlier with Snape, she didn't blush. Instead she put on her best devil-may-care grin and winked back.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?"

There was a significant silence, or at least significant enough to make her turn around. "What Blaise?"

"Would you quit it with the damn pillows?!"

"Awww! Big strong manly man's afraid of some pillows?"

Blaise grabbed one of the unensorcelled ones and hurled it at her. Alex ducked and started to stick her tongue out at him.

Draco's pillow didn't miss.


	44. Back to Normal

A/N: So sorry. So, so sorry. I was going to post in November, but for some reason, this year Nano (nanowrimoDOTorg) ate my soul.

I won though. Yay 50,000!

PS: Chapters 2-5 have been redone, edited within an inch of their sad, one scene each lives(Gag!) So up to Chapter 7 is reposted. No big changes in any of these. Enter the Detharts has been split into two scenes though, because it kept switching POVs. It's all the same content though.

PPS: I _am_ working on that many-times-dammed Plot summary, but being a graspy author I keep putting in WAY too much detail and have to go back and rewrite everything. I'm up to Chptr 29 at the moment. I'll shoot it off the instant I finish it.

I don't own anything important(3 car payments notwithstanding). Enjoy.

* * *

The first week would have been a walk in the park, _should_ have been a walk in the park, with no classes to contend with...if it hadn't been for their damned guests. Maybe it was the fact that they'd all gotten more confident after the Ball. Maybe it was just that they were more now relaxed having gotten some, thanks to their accents and the Ball. Whatever it was, the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were out in force, causing chaos and turmoil wherever they went.

Filch's face constantly alternated between bright purple and a white expression that looked as if he were about to cry. McGonagall spoke in a short, clipped tone usually reserved for the worst of offenders in her classroom, at all times and _that_ vein pulsed in Snape's forehead constantly.

And if they had been anyone else, anything other than the Slytherins they were, they all would have holed up in their Common Room for the duration. Considering the short fuses and fragile state of the entire group it would've been the smart thing to do. But they were Slytherins and by Merlin they weren't going to allow these _foreigners_ to send them into hiding on their own ground! Not even Tania was willing to give so much as an inch, though she jumped at shadows and flinched from every touch.

"Well well. What a turn out for lunch," Greg murmured as they all settled themselves at one end of the long Slytherin table.

Draco nodded, his sharp grey gaze taking in the nearly full Slytherin and Gryffindor tables right along side the nearly empty Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff ones. In fact there were only two Puffballs at their table, directly next to Slytherin's. The rest of the people sitting at the table were the foreign students. Neither of the Hufflepuffs looked comfortable, and they kept shooting glances down the table at the interlopers.

Turning back around, he wasn't on the side of the table with the view of the Puffballs, Draco curled his lips in a sneer. "Something needs to be done about them."

"I can't disagree, Draco," Vince said darkly, rubbing the side of his face tiredly. "But do we have _time_ to do anything right now? What with our Yule Break homework... and all our extra curricular activities..."

Draco sighed, then realized what he was doing and pulled himself up straight. "This is not our... current Project," he had to come at the Moody thing sideways because of the small brunette seated next to Alex. "We can get the rest of the House in on the international cooperation."

"And I know just who you should talk to," Alex commented, playing with her spoon with slow motions as they all waited for the staff to show up and lunch to begin. "Tara Cromwell."

Draco felt himself wince, even as he heard Blaise laugh disbelievingly. "You've got to be kidding, Lex," Blaise said firmly. "There is just no way."

Alex grinned slightly, the biggest smile Draco had seen on her since the Ball. "What? You can't tell me you all are _afraid_ of Tara Cromwell?! She's a sweetheart!"

The boys all looked at each other and avoided looking at both girls... because Tania was giving them the same look as Alex, albeit from underneath her hair.

"Oh fine! I'll talk to her later," Alex said finally, breaking the silence.

She looked about to say something else when a cutting French insult skipped lightly across the air. Draco's head whipped around as a pair of those powder-blue wearing Frenchies walked up to the two bold Hufflepuffs. And while Draco knew French, knew what they were being called it quickly became clear the Puffballs didn't. Not that it mattered. Draco had heard enough.

No one insulted his school in front of him. No one attacked his Puffballs without permission. No one broke Draco Malfoy's toys!

Standing slowly, uncoiling upward Draco glided forward silently. Behind him, he knew, would be Greg and Vince. They'd been doing this so long it wouldn't even have to pass through their heads as an actual thought before they followed him.

"Excuse me, bitches," he murmured in flawless French, tapping the nearest one on the shoulder. As they turned he interposed himself between them and the Puffballs. "I believe you just said that this is a pile of moldering bricks filled with people who might as well be teaching Muggles for all their competence," he easily pitched his voice to carry and saw the rest of the Slytherin heads lifted in that same deadly slow motion he'd just used. "I would like you to apologize."

The French students, easily two years older than him, looked down with condescension. Draco smiled. "And then I would like you to kiss the mud off my boots."

The blond on the left drew his wand faster than Draco could watch. In the next breath Greg grabbed him, the Slytherin table surged to its feet and, low and behold, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws did likewise. Draco glanced around and took in that the mood of all his classmates matched his. He let a very satisfied smirk settle on his face.

"You really should have taken my advice," he murmured, reaching for his own wand.

And then, just as the tension was about to break out into an all out brawl, with the entire student body of Hogwarts taking on the visiting students without mercy, a tall man with a very long beard stepped into the room.

"Ah, I see you've all just arrived as well," the Headmaster said evenly, a note of steel underpinning the cheerfulness. "Excellent. We've not kept you waiting. Please, everyone have a seat."

There was a minute, one very long minute, where the students all stared at each other. Then something like intelligence slipped back into the room. Draco slowly lowered his wand, his grip loosening as Greg dropped the blond. The boy immediately collapsed into a chair, gasping for air. Draco didn't stop smiling evilly though. Because it wasn't over. They were going to hurt them. It was just going to be done in a Slytherin way. Quietly. In the back hallways. Later, when no one else was around to stop them.

* * *

"Does it bother anyone else?" George Weasley commented randomly, later that day.

"What? The French thing?" Lee Jordan replied.

"No. Not really. I meant the Slytherin thing."

Even Fred looked at his twin in something like confusion. "What Slytherin thing?"

"Draco Malfoy and his two cronies," George continued, tucking his hands under his head where he lay on a Gryffindor couch. "Jumping up and defending a couple of Hufflepuffs like that. It was weird."

"I didn't see _Malfoy_ doing a good deed George," Lee said, his voice mocking on Malfoy. "I saw him picking a fight with those damn French."

Fred snorted. "A much needed fight, I gotta say. I am surprised though."

"About what?"

"Well someone picked a fight with a couple of _French_," he said in his 'Leading up to a good joke' voice. "And they just stood there. Not a one of them ran for the hills."

"Oh come on Fred," George shot back, easily fulfilling his part in the joke. "the French don't _run_. They were just waiting for Malfoy to shut up long enough for them to surrender."

Lee let out a bark of laughter as Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson slipped into common room.

"I'd ask what was so funny, but I don't want to know," Katie said shaking her head. "Besides, you've got to hear this."

At her tone Fred and George sat up and looked up at her.

"It's all over the place, or at least it's all over Gryffindor. Seems Dumbledore finally got fed up. It's _said_ that he had a private talk with the other two headmasters. Somebody said he was heard yelling. Something about keeping their students under control."

Fred snorted again. "About damn time."

* * *

Alex rubbed her forehead with her first two fingers as she followed Tania's slim form toward Common Room. She didn't know how the little girl did it. It didn't matter that she'd just been through a healing. She kept right on going, trucking along without so much as a falter. Alex's respect for her rose. She could do a lot of things, handle a lot of things, but physical pain and exhaustion… it knocked her on her ass every time. Just look at what she'd been like after the protection spell on her books.

Though, she mused as Draco came up behind her and slipped a hand around her waist, the end result of that was fun. Even as she thought it she was filled with the desire to settle back, lean into Draco and let him take some of the weight. She blinked a little in shock. It wasn't just that she was thinking like that about Draco. The whole concept disturbed her.

"Don't even think about it," Draco murmured directly into her ear, as she pondered how to pull free without it looking like she was pulling away from him.

She twisted her head. "Don't think what?" Alex flashed a smile.

"Now see, that was just _weak_ Bellmonte. I didn't even have to try to tell that you're lying through your teeth."

"Oh Draco," a high voice that sounded very much like a falsetto version of Greg came up from behind them. "You're just so hot. And you smell like cheese and beef."

"Alex, my beauty, it is in fact you who smells like beef. The finest veal even." Vince replied, his voice even higher than Greg's.

Alex looked up at Draco out of the corner of her eye. "Do something to them please."

"Refractions," Draco called, the portrait swinging open for Tania as she approached it. "But Alex, you _do _smell like veal."

He was teasing her. She knew it and she knew that if she were less tired and in a better mood she'd be taking it better. She tried for a tightlipped smile, but the corners of her mouth barely moved. "Thank you for the escort gentlemen, but I think Tania's looking a bit peaky. We're going upstairs."

"Wait, what?" Draco sputtered, but she'd already ducked away from him, jogging a couple of paces to catch up with Tania.

Fortunately for her Tania was still in her completely-silent mode and didn't contradict her. Instead she followed silently, her head down as Alex led the way across the room toward the stairs.

She fully expected another objection, but they crossed the Slytherin common room without incident. As her clunky heels clumped up the stairs Alex felt a tiny thrill of disappointment. She didn't want to be around them if they were going to be pains… but she didn't want Draco to just let her go. Alex sighed and shook her head.

"Sorry," Tania whispered.

Alex glanced over at her, managing to catch Tania as the small girl looked up at her from under her hair. Despite the fact that she was walking as if she was perfectly fine, there was a weary, beaten look in her warm brown gaze.

"What for?" she shook her head, pausing at the top of the stairs. "They were being pricks. I'd rather spend time with you any day."

There was a pause, and then Tania shrugged, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. A tiny smile slipped into her expression. "So, what now?"

Alex flashed a tired grin. "Your dorm or mine, Tania?"

"Tara had a mission for my dormmates." Tania offered. "It'll be empty for hours."

"Good enough for me. Let's go," she bunched her robes in one hand and set off down the hall, her desire to lie down giving her the energy to move at speed.

* * *

"What? You're not even going to go after her?" Blaise sneered from the far rear of their group, leaning, no _lounging_ on the inner edge of the portal picture.

Draco turned, grasping his suddenly empty hands together behind his back. "If she wanted me to follow her she'd have gone someplace I could go," he replied coldly, taken aback by the harshness in his dormmate's voice.

"Wonderful. Just damn wonderful," Blaise shoved past them, stomping toward the stairs to the boys' dorms. "After everything we gave up for this little tryst and you won't even play. Merlin save me from damn idiots."

His voice faded, trailing away as he disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time despite his fatigue. Draco wrinkled his nose. "Is he drunk?"

Greg exchanged a look with Vince. "He's drunk a lot more than you'd think."

Draco scowled.

* * *

"So, you can't sleep either," Alex said to the canopy above the third year bed she was borrowing. She and Tania had decided to spend the next few hours napping… but Alex couldn't sleep. It was too hard to relax these days. She never slept when she was 'On Duty' anyway. In the silence she heard Tania's breathing, irregular. Clearly the other girl was awake as well.

There was a rustle of fabric as Tania sat up, tucking one knee up underneath her chin. Alex rolled off her bed and flopped the wrong way across Tania's, at the other girl's feet.

"I'm sorry you know," Tania murmured after a minute or so of comfortable silence, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The motion didn't help because it dislodged several more loose curls.

Alex twisted to look up at her. "Huh? About what?"

Tania rested her cheek on her knee, looking away, across the room. "About the dress," she whispered regretfully. "It was gorgeous."

Alex scoffed, made as if to wave her hand dismissively, but then decided it was too much trouble and let it flop back down beside her. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it. I've got dozens just like it."

Tania didn't respond for a minute. A long minute. Alex frowned and started to sit up.

"I… really am sorry… anyway…" the younger girl said even quieter. "It… I didn't mean…for…anything to… h-happen… to it I mean."

Alex sat all the way up, crossing her legs tailor style. Her frown deepened. "You… we aren't talking about the dress, are we honey?"

Tania was suddenly a bundle of energy. She threw herself off the bed and crossed the room, her robes whipping around her legs. Her fingers wrapped around her lower arms, tracing along the inner side over and over as she paced. Alex tumbled forward off the bed and grabbed Tania by the shoulders.

The other girl flinched then froze, holding herself completely still. For a second it looked like she wasn't even breathing. Stunned by the sudden change Alex slowly peeled her fingers free.

"Honey," she bit the inside of her lip, searching for words. It didn't make sense, that she didn't know what to say. Everyone knew who needed to know in Slytherin, about what happened at home. But no one ever talked about it. There just… no one talked about it. It hurt too much. It made too many things real. Alex felt a rough patch pinch the back of her throat and swallowed. It didn't help.

"Honey, I don't know what to say to you," she rubbed her head. "I don't know if you're mad at me, or if you're humiliated and wish you'd never met me, which I've gotten before… mostly from Blaise. Or maybe you think we should've been there sooner…"

Tania turned and looked her full in the face for the first time today. "_What_?" she asked in complete disbelief. "_I_ did it. I ruined the ball. You didn't… you couldn't…"

"Are you kidding me?" Alex demanded. "Falon the Bitch is _not_ as subtle as he seems to think he is. We knew what he was. Or rather we'd started to guess. We should've known better. I should've kept a closer eye on you. But I got… _distracted_!" she hissed the last word. The memory of her dance with Draco washed over with the blood on a patch of clean snow clawed its way to the surface.

"_You_ didn't do anything." Tania actually sounded mad.

"Neither did you," Alex snapped then pulled herself up short when Tania physically winced away from her. "Tania, the only person I'm mad at is your whiney, ass kissing, sociopath, sadistic, bitch of a brother. If I promise to stop blaming myself, will you stop thinking I blame you?"

Tania ducked behind her hair again, her fingers wrapping around her left wrist. "Maybe," she admitted grudgingly.

Alex didn't smile. It wasn't a full on agreement, but she would've been even more suspicious if Tania had agreed outright. There was no way to remove guilt that easily. Instead she stretched, rising up on her toes before falling back on the nearest bed. "You owe me a favor though," she said to the green fabric canopy. "After all, I did yell at Hunter and his many many friends until they agreed to let you hang out with us. They aren't even going to hover all over your life… much anyway."

The laugh that slipped out of Tania was a little weak… but it _was_ a laugh. Alex smiled in relief.


	45. Avoiding Reality

A/N: Well Christmas chewed me up and finally spit me back out this year.

Anyway, the only note I've got is just this. Someone mentioned they didn't understand why Blaise and Alex attacked each other after the Ball/they found Tania. Since that shows up again, I wanted to explain it, if it still isn't clear. See, Alex and Blaise attack each other because they can. The only person in Alex's life who is _safe_ _enough _to hit/insult/yell at is Blaise and vice versa. She knows he won't truly hurt her, won't kill her, doesn't mean the insults. It isn't exactly healthy, but it's one of the few emotional releases they have. They rarely do it in front of other people though.

::waves:: And that's it. I still own nothing etc etc.

* * *

"Well, we got them." 

Draco glanced at the speaker, one Tara Cromwell, then looked away before she noticed he was looking at her. Merlin! He twitched. Scary, _scary_ woman.

"I'll say she did," Greg murmured into his left ear. "Take a look around. Even Dumbledore's rant couldn't have caused that."

Draco turned, but he couldn't find the foreign students. Eventually he spotted them. They'd split up into smaller, non-threatening groups and were scattered around the far end of the room. About as far away from the Slytherin table as possible.

He grinned. "And that is why the world is a more disturbing place since Lady Tara was born."

"All I can think of is that one time in first year," Greg had a distant expression on his face.

"What happened in first year?" Alex asked, sinking down between Greg and Vince and looking back and forth between them. Tania slipped down on Greg's other side and casually reached for a fruit bowl. Without so much as glancing at her Greg reached out and moved it closer so she could reach it.

"Tara Cromwell happened, Alex. Tara Cromwell happened."

The older girl must have heard him because she looked over at them and winked significantly.

Greg paled. "I love you, my queen," he called.

She grinned.

Alex snickered, leaning back to exchange a glance with Tania, who was being far more polite than Alex and holding in her laughter. "So, where's Blaise?" Alex looked around, half rising to look over the heads of the boys around her.

Draco frowned at her. It just didn't seem right, that something was going wrong with Blaise and Alex didn't know about it. Until this moment he hadn't even remotely considered Blaise's issue to be a real problem.

"He's up in the dorm," Vince answered.

She looked at him, two lines forming between her eyebrows. "What's he up to?"

Vince looked at Draco who leaned around him. "He's… busy." Draco made the rapid decision to avoid the details. It wasn't his place to rat out his dorm mate and it wasn't his place to keep Alex informed.

She leaned forward and frowned, her jade green eyes searching his face for a long silent moment. Still concerned she leaned back and grabbed a roll, pale fingers slowly shredding it across her plate.

* * *

The smell was sharp in her nose, the recognition instantiations. Alex stopped, one foot half off the floor and inhaled again. She put her foot down and turned around. As she'd suspected, Blaise had come up behind her. His eyes were white and clear. His step was steady and even. He was drunk. Well and truly trashed and wasted. The smell of alcohol was like a living thing in the air around him. She pinched her lips closed until her teeth ground together. 

"Hey, Lex." He flashed a smile that she immediately distrusted. "What's new?"

She flashed an equally insincere smile. "Hi, Blaise. Why don't you tell me?"

He stopped in the middle of the hallway a shrewd, angry look flaring in his narrowed eyes. "Whatever do you mean, Lexy?"

She eyed his face, letting the words wash over her without taking them in emotionally. There was no point to it when Blaise was this trashed. Frankly, if he stayed this nice she'd be greatly surprised.

"Alex?" Draco had stopped a few feet farther down the hall.

She shook her head, waving them on. "We just need to talk. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

The boys just shrugged and kept walking, but Tania sent her a worried glance, her brown gaze darting toward Blaise before she allowed herself to be led away by Greg. Alex ignored them, staring at him without blinking until the many Slytherins emptied farther into the school, heading for Common Room.

"You weren't at dinner last night, Zabini. You were passed out in your dorm for breakfast this morning. You smell of booze and you're neglecting your duties to Tania and to the House in general."

If it were possible Blaise got even stiller. He inhaled and let out his breath slowly. "And who are you to critique me, Bellmonte?"

Alex flattened her palms against one another and very specifically chose her next words. She didn't really feel like dealing with a long drawn out conversation before they got to the point. She didn't have the energy for it. "Oh, give it a rest, Zabini. Don't try to focus the blame on me. _You_ are the one who's letting this rather minor event in your life defeat you. But you know what? I don't even know why I'm talking to you. You aren't going to have a single intelligent thought in your heat until you aren't so shitfaced."

She turned sharply on her heel and stalked off down the hallway.

"_Bitch_," the word breathed past her ear as Blaise grabbed her arms, whipping her around. Alex was barely registering her new direction when her back hit the wall. She gasped, clinging to the stone with her fingertips, stunned at how quickly he'd gone from verbal attacks to physical. It usually took longer. There was usually more warning.

Alex hid her hurt and let her lips curl into a sneer. "Idiot. Y-"

Blaise slammed his hand against the wall, less than an inch from her head. Alex flinched away. "I don't need your prying, bossy input, you stupid little whore," he sneered into her face.

Alex wrapped her fingers into the soft cotton of his shirt, jerking him even closer. "If you didn't you would've just walked away."

Very softly, very gently, Blaise wrapped his fingers around the place between her neck and her jaw. Firmly controlling her breathing, Alex wrapped her hand around his wrist significantly. His warm hazel eyes bored into hers and for one long second Alex thought it was over. But then the ugly look reasserted itself.

"_Bitch_!" he shouted hurling her to the left.

Alex fought to control her flight, but just managed to tear strips out of Blaise's arm before falling and hitting the floor. She rolled to her feet to find herself staring down the wrong end of a wand.

"_Laedo_!(1)"

Sharp pain slashed across her face, knocking her back on her ass. "Ahh!" Alex scrambled into her sleeve and lashed out at his legs with her wand. "_Inflixi_!" (2)

Blaise grunted and stumbled forward, nearly falling on top of her. He solved his problem by putting his weight into his knee, which landed on her back. And then it was Alex's turn to grunt.

"_Noceo_," (3) she gasped out, jabbing her wand blindly upward.

There was a sound, like a massive hand slapping against stone that told her she'd missed. Blaise shifted and Alex found herself hitting stone again.

"_Minuo_." (4)

Alex's eyes flew open in shock, her arms coming up to protect her face. Blades of light rippled over her, drawing a soft whimper from her unwilling lips.

"Stupid," she hissed as blood began to drip to the floor. "So… _stupid_!_T__ogliere wand!_ (5)

**"**_Expelliarmus_!"

Her fingers, already loosened around the length of wood, lost their grip, even as the blood around her flashed with light and Blaise's wand slammed into the far wall.

"Well," she drawled, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arms. "Now that we've got that out of the way-" She surged forward, but of course, Blaise was waiting for her.

"Fortunately," Blaise growled, shoving her back down, "you're predictable." He grabbed her throat, harder than before and began to squeeze. "Bitch."

Alex looked up into his eyes as her air was slowly and brutally cut off. His eyes met hers but they were flat and empty. Blaise, her Blaise, didn't look back. Seconds ticked by and, though she fought it, panic started to fill her. She forced herself not to fight back, but she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

_Blaise!_ she screamed mentally as white stars cut off the corners of her vision. _Get a hold of yourself dammit!_

"Al-" The noise that came out of Blaise's mouth was a low groan. "Lexy." And just that fast she could breathe again.

Alex coughed, blinking against the extra moisture in her eyes. "B-... Blaise, you _stupid_ boy." She breathed reaching up to touch his face.

He crumbled on top of her, tears streaming down his face. Alex scrambled up, wrapping her arms around him and muffling his sobs in her shoulder.

"You stupid, stupid boy."

* * *

It felt like up. It felt like breaking the surface of the water after nearly drowning. It felt like slicing open his stomach and slowly pulling out his intestines. 

Blaise clung to Alex as if he'd drown if he didn't and sobbed like he was dying.

_Tania's hand in his, tiny and trusting. A big hand, hairy and demanding, yanking him along by the back of his shirt. His tiny feet, bare and scrambling to keep up with too long foot steps._

"You stupid, stupid boy."

_She smiled at him, the purity of the joy rocking him back on his heels… until her face twisted up into a hoarse scream. Blood splattered across his face. He could smell it, taste it. It choked him. Somewhere, someone laughed._

"I hope at least it was the good alcohol, honey child."

_He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe! There was blood on his face. Blood on his shirt. Blood on the dress. Blood on the snow. He shivered in the cold. It was so dark down here. So cold in the basement._

"After all, we can't have you rotting your guts out, darling."

_"Blaise, what are you doing?!"_

_Blaise looked up from his project and grinned up at his mother. "Don't look!" he said forcefully. "It's a secret!"_

_She paused in midmotion and turned toward him. "Excuse me?"_

_He felt a tremor of unease, but stayed his course. After all, Grandma had said that birthday presents __had__ to be secrets. Blaise hadn't known people were supposed to get presents on their birthday. He felt bad that he'd never given his mommy and daddy anything so he was putting in extra effort this year. "You can't see. You can't __look__! It's a __secret__!"_

_His mother's face twisted and she stalked forward. She grabbed his project, then flung it away from herself with a cry. "What the hell is this, you stupid brat?!" she shouted, shoving her hand, now covered in blue paint, in his face. _

_"You weren't supposed to touch it when it was wet!" he wailed, scrambling off his seat._

_"It constantly amazes me," she hissed viciously, grabbing his face and smearing paint on his nose and mouth, "how much of a mess you can create in so short a time. And when I __specifically__ told you not to!"_

_Blaise stared at her in silence as the taste of paint filled his mouth and her nails dug into his cheeks. They weren't drawing blood yet, but that was just because she was being nice. "I-I-It… it w-was a… a b-birthday pr-pr…present," he stuttered, trying to explain. Surely once she knew she'd understand. She __had__ to!_

_"A__present__?" she shouted, her hand tightening until her nails broke skin. Warm liquid dripped down his face._

"I've kept my closet clean, you know. In case you need it."

_"You think ruining my table, destroying my dress, __covering__ this room in your stupid little messes is a __present__?" She was practically shrieking by the time she was done, using her grip on his face to shake him violently. With a wordless snarl, she threw him from the chair to the floor._

_"I am so __sick__ of you!" A pair of blows followed her words._

_Blaise curled in on himself._

"I haven't forgotten my promise, honey. You're welcome to move in whenever you need to. I won't even make you sleep on my shoes this time."

Alex.

Her arms around him. Her voice in his ear.

Blaise dug his fingers into her hair, grabbing the memory with both hands and shoving it back into the box where it belonged.

"It… it was a birthday present," he whispered.

"_Oh_. That bad huh?" she murmured, wincing.

"I… I left her. I knew. I _knew_ and I left her."

Alex eased up on her hold enough for him to lift his face from her shoulder, but didn't let him go, running her fingers through his hair. "I know, honey. It's all your fault."

Blaise stiffened, disbelieving. "_What_?" he gasped, feeling the floor drop from beneath his feet.

"Oh, don't be an idiot," she snapped, shoving him off her. He jerked as if she'd doused him with cold water.

"What?"

Alex reached out and placed one hand on either side of his face. "I can't baby you, Blaise. I don't have the luxury. _You_ don't have the luxury. So sit up, suck it up, and face reality."

The speech echoed in his head, repeated over and over again in his memory. He'd said it. She'd said it. They'd screamed it and whispered it dozens of times over the years. Blaise took a painful breath and let it out slowly, taking himself in hand even though it hurt. _Gods_ it hurt. "And reality is?"

"The reality is Tania thinks it's her fault. I think it's mine. Hunter fairly reeks of guilt. You're jumping into the guilt lake full tilt. We can't all be right can we?"

"_Tania's_ fault? How the hell is it Tania's fault?"

Her face closed down over an expression Blaise specifically chose not to interpret. "The same way it was your fault your mother got paint on her hands."

He closed his eyes and focused on breathing for a second. "And so?"

"So," Alex leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "I want to point out that there is one person in all of this that doesn't feel guilty at all. Falon."

"Falon," Blaise echoed, hazel eyes drilling into green.

"I bet he went to bed and got a sweet night's sleep. So I think, maybe, just maybe, you should start blaming him."

"You make a very good point." Blaise felt as if the world was slowly settling back onto a normal balance.

"And one last thing I'm going to say, during which you are going to listen and _not_ get angry at me for." She leaned back, winced, and glared at him. "This is obviously not the first time this has happened. The look on Hunter's face when we told him should be evidence enough of that."

"So?" he prompted when she hesitated.

"So, what damage this…" she didn't say abuse, wouldn't say it but Blaise knew, "did to her has already been done. One more round in the closet in the back of her mind isn't going to make it worse."

Blaise's first response was a disgusted sneer. But he couldn't. He knew what she was doing, what she meant underneath that cold, unfeeling statement. Still, he couldn't bring himself to agree with her either. Instead, Blaise leaned forward and wrapped her in a quick hug.

"So… are we better now?" she asked, her voice muffled.

Blaise chuckled. "Alex, I don't know what I drank but I think I'm gonna have a _bad_ hangover."

"Blaise darling, that isn't the alcohol. That was me." Alex snickered, then coughed. "Ow," she whined.

Blaise stiffened, then, slowly, very slowly, almost against his will, he leaned back and got to his feet. Clenching his teeth, he looked down at her. The right side of her face, from hairline to chin was a massive bruise that was beginning to swell, distorting her eye slightly. She lifted her hands to probe at the injury gently, giving him a clear view of the tatters that used to be the lower half of her sleeve, damp with blood.

He grabbed her wrists, pulling her arms up for a better view of the slices into her flesh. Instead she used the motion to pull her to her feet.

"See anything you like, Zabini?" she joked, tilting her head with mock flirtation.

"Please. That's just-" He cut off and dropped her wrists. "_Alexandra!_"

She braced her hands on her hips and blinked at him.

Blaise reached out and very, very gently tipped up her chin. Extremely deep, harsh bruises covered her neck. His heart in his throat Blaise counted fingers. He dropped her face and scrambled back until he hit the other side of the hall. "_Gods, Alex_!" he shouted, scrubbing his face. "How could you?! I could've… I almost…. _Lord Merlin_!"

She winced and ducked her head, clutching her elbows. "It worked didn't it!" she shot back uncertainly.

"Bloody_hell_." He crossed the hall in two strides and grabbed her into an all engulfing hug.

With a sniffle, she relaxed completely. "We gotta go," Alex murmured into his shirt.

"Yeah." He glanced around for their wands. "I've got a place we can hide out until later."

Alex groaned. "I'm not going to get dinner, am I?"

He grinned. "Nope."

* * *

It was well after dark when they finally decided it might be safe to sneak back into Common Room. Truthfully, they should've stayed away longer, but Alex wanted her healing kit a bit desperately, and so they headed back early. In the end, it didn't really matter how late or early they were, because they wouldn't have managed to avoid Him. 

"Pinecone," Blaise murmured to Her Majesty, the Lady of Slytherin. She barely batted an eye as she looked down her long nose and swung silently open. Blaise waved for her to stay put as he ducked into Common Room first and made sure the coast was clear.

Alex crossed her arms, then thought better of it as her cuts protested, and tapped her foot impatiently on the stone floor. One minute passed, then two. Alex was about to throw up her hands and go in anyway when she heard Blaise call to her.

"Lex..." he called softly, his voice strained.

She frowned. That certainly didn't _sound_ like 'all was clear'. In fact it sounded like he'd just gotten caught. If she were smart, she'd make a run for it before whoever was in there found her out too. _But_ by the same token, if she were smart she'd have to assume that they already knew about her. After all, Blaise would never have called to her if he hadn't been prompted to. If he'd had no choice. It stood to reason that she wouldn't be doing anything but getting Blaise into worse trouble than he was already in by running. She couldn't do that to him.

"Blaise?" she called back cautiously.

"Come on in, Lex," he answered unhappily. "The water's fine."

Rolling her eyes, Alex bunched up her robe unceremoniously and climbed over the threshold. In the dark of the entrance she kicked off her shoes for the comfort of it. Well, that and it was a clear statement that she wasn't going to run. Whoever was here, whatever they wanted, she was going to fight back. She just wasn't in the mood for anything else right now. The bruises along her side and back, now well developed, protested loudly as she bent to pick them up. Alex tried not to wince but all she managed was to keep her groan soft and barely hearable.

_Oh, now you're just procrastinating_, she scolded herself sharply. _Get on with it!_

Lifting her chin she strode forward firmly. Her steps faltered as humorless eyes, cold and black, met her own.

"P-Professor Snape," she whispered.

He smiled. It wasn't a look of happiness or joy. Alex closed her eyes._You have _got_to be kidding me._

"I am going to ask you this one time only, Mister Zabini. Who caused Miss Bellmonte's injuries?" His voice was dry, too dry and Alex had just enough good sense left to keep her mouth shut.

The muscles in his jaw clenching, Blaise pulled himself up and looked Professor Snape straight in the eye. "I did, sir."

Snape's lips twitched. And not in that good way. "You," he drawled darkly, his voice laced with iron command, "will not heal yourself. You will not imbibe any potions to that effect nor will you take anything for the pain. You are no gentleman, Mister Zabini. Have I made myself clear?"

Blaise took the hits with a single sharp nod. "Yes, sir. I understand."

"Good. Bed." Professor Snape gestured toward the boys' dorms. Blaise glanced at Alex in concern.

"I. Will. Not. Tell. You. Again. Mister Zabini," Snape enunciated sharply.

Face pale, Blaise turned on his heel and marched from the room, though a less forgiving audience might say he fled. Alex winced and looked up at her very tall, very imposing Head of House. It was her turn now.

"Sit, Miss Bellmonte." The voice was softer but the implied command wasn't.

Alex walked to the closest seat, a black leather couch, and sat.

"I find it hard to believe," he crossed to stand in front of her and gripped her chin with cold fingers, tilting her face, "that Zabini could have done this to you entirely against your will."

Alex winced, met his eyes and looked away. "It wasn't his fault," she tried to say firmly but ended up whispering, "I attacked him first."

Her Head of House opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. "Miss Bellmonte," he said her name on a sigh, "you are on a very dangerous path."

She had no good response to that, so she stayed silent and watched him draw his wand from his sleeve. A black gaze locked with hers and Alex heard the order loud and clear even though he didn't say anything.

_Stay still. Don't move. Don't resist._

She held her tongue and waited. Holding his wand in both hands, Snape let his eyes fade half closed and every so often mouthed a word. Alex watched him, because she had nothing better to do, and tried to guess which spell he was using from the minor amounts of lip reading she was managing. She'd only just begun to guess when his hands started to glow. Replacing his wand in his sleeve, Professor Snape gently but firmly placed his left hand over the side of her face and wrapped his right around her throat.

Alex swallowed convulsively and had to fight to hold still, had to fight to keep from whimpering. It was going to be awhile before she let anyone touch her neck again it seemed.

His fingers, warm this time and rapidly growing hot, pressed into her flesh and Alex felt panic start to build in her stomach. _I can't breathe!_

The heat became unbearable, scorching her. Alex gasped in a breath... and cool black eyes looked directly into her green ones. Instantly the panic faded. This was Snape, Professor Snape, her Head of House. He would never, ever hurt her. Not without a damn good reason. She trusted him implicitly. Her brain began to function again and Alex realized that, while he was holding her neck, he wasn't choking her. She could breathe. She had always been able to breathe.

Tears of relief popped into her eyes, startling her. Alex Bellmonte didn't cry. And not in front of people! Her face gave a sudden throb, then the pain vanished along with the weird larger-than-life feeling.

"Your arms, Miss Bellmonte."

Alex glanced down at her arms, where her cuts were hidden inside her repaired sleeves. She should have been surprised that he knew... but it was Snape, so she wasn't. The man was sneaky and every member of his House had learned the hard way, at one time or another, that it was impossible to get anything past him. It was why they trusted him. It was why they respected him. It was why they, down to the smallest first year, would follow his orders without question no matter what they were or how terrifying the consequences. If he asked her to kill, she would. If he asked her to die, she would. Though she'd object to the second one just out of principal, if there was time.

She sighed and shrugged off her robes, the better to reach the sleeves of her button down white undershirt. "It's not like I do this on purpose," she muttered as she fumbled with the buttons of her cuffs.

"Do what, Miss Bellmonte?" there was amusement in his velvet soft, dark voice. He was laughing at her and Alex wasn't entirely sure why.

"Get myself beat all to hell. I'm not a masochist you know."

"Of course you are."

Alex froze in the middle of pushing up her sleeves and looked up. The smirk, _the_ smirk was settling across his features and Alex felt a flash of pride that she had been the one to inspire it. But there was still that comment to deal with!

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, really?" she said too brightly. "Do tell."

The smirk faltered then vanished and that deep brooding look was back in his eyes. "Your life is shit, Miss Bellmonte. No matter what anyone else sees or says, your life is an empty hell."

Alex very deliberately stared at her hands as she rolled her sleeves up carefully. Digging her finger nails into her palms against the pain that was probably coming, either from the healing or from the words he was throwing in her face, she extended her arms and turned them over to present him with the bloody slices. They had mostly stopped bleeding, but they were too deep and wide to have even considered scabbing over yet. In a single rapid movement, perhaps he thought she would flinch away from him, Snape grabbed her low arms with his still glowing hands.

Now_that_ hurt. It felt like someone had added salt to lemon juice then set the whole thing on fire and poured it into her cuts. Alex blanched, but as quickly as it had come it was gone. She yanked her arms out of his grip and rubbed her hands over the still stinging flesh.

"That was _not_ cool," she muttered fiercely, unable to hold in that much emotion at this point. "And I beg to differ about the other bit."

Snape lifted an eyebrow. "The rest of it."

Alex sighed and half turned, lifting her shirt to expose the bruise forming around her side and up her back. "I still object. My life is not an empty hell. It has it's moments but..." She shrugged.

Some part of her mind commented that it was a strange double standard. She'd drawn blood on Draco when all he'd done was kiss her, but here was this fully grown man with his hands practically on top of her bra and she didn't have a bad thing to say about it. Well, screw that part of her mind. This was Snape.

"Where do your problems come from, Alexandra?" he inquired softly, surprising her by using her first name. "What are the causes?"

"Idiots," she supplied instantly, earning herself another smirk.

"More specifically."

Alex frowned. "I..."

Snape exhaled sharply and looked at her like she was failing some kind of test. "You are in this condition right now because...?"

"Because... Blaise needed my help." She scowled, suddenly gaining a clue as to where he was going with this.

He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

"And I haven't been sleeping because of the Tania problem."

If it had been Blaise he'd have rolled his eyes at her. "How much time in a day do you spend on things that are not your problem?"

"Define 'my problem'," Alex asked. If it had been anyone else she'd have snapped it coldly, but she was controlling that emotion right now. If Professor Snape felt the need to interject some advice into her life, she would be as open to it as possible.

He leaned forward. "_Not_ Mister Zabini's problem. Not Miss Dethart's problem. Not Mister Dethart's problem. Not Mister Malfoy's problem."

"Contrary to popular belief," she tilted her head up at him and crossed her arms now that she could, "I do not do favors for people. Especially not Draco."

"Contrary to popular belief," his voice went so soft Alex had to strain to hear him, "you would jump in front of a Cruciatus for any one of those people. And you wouldn't be able to help yourself."

Alex tried to stare at him, but found she couldn't meet his eyes. It was a warm, puddle-in-her-stomach feeling to know that someone else knew her that well. But it was also unnerving. If he knew that, if he could see her that clearly... then what else did he see. She knew her parents were disappointed in her. She wasn't nearly good enough. She only barely got by, scraping out a win from every test by the skin on her teeth. The thought that _Professor Snape_ might see how much a failure she was... horrifying didn't even begin to cover it.

"If you live your life for yourself, it will be better, easier, more successful," Snape continued. There was a tone in his voice that Alex had only heard once before, when she'd been nearly passed out from pain after she'd been 'accidentally' pushed off the Quidditch stands. Back then, it had given her permission to cry, while giving her the strength to bite her tongue and endure. Now it gave her the courage to look up.

Whatever else he was feeling, behind those bottomless black eyes, she didn't know. But she didn't see disgust, or even condescension. She managed to start breathing again.

"So, I should give up on them all?" she asked curiously, no longer defensive.

He shrugged indifferently. "If you continue on with the path you've chosen, your life will become hell."

"I thought it already was hell."

Snape looked at her soberly, ignoring her attempt at a joke. "These are the good days, Miss Bellmonte. It will only get worse from here."

"Well, hell," Alex said, jerking her chin up defiantly, "my life is going to suck anyway. I might as well go for broke."

"Then you truly belong in my House." For the third time in one conversation Professor Snape smirked. "Go to bed, Miss Bellmonte."

Ever obedient, Alex went.

* * *

A/N: 

(1) laedo, strike, hit, hurt, damage, offend, annoy

(2) infligo inflixi inflictum - to strike, hit, knock /cause damage.

(3) noceo - to do harm to, inflict injury, hurt.

(4) minuo - to draw blood, let blood, to bleed (someone).

(5) togliere – take away


	46. Snow in His Boots

A/N: Well this story has been kicking my butt. I want to say that I am hugely flattered by all the people who keep adding this to their Favs or Alerts and especially those who review. I am sorry about the time between updates and if these next chapters feel a bit like filler. With luck and work it'll get better soon.

* * *

"Classes start tomorrow."

"Oh don't _remind_ me, Liana!" her twin groaned, ducking around the boys coming in as they darted into the hallway.

Vince grimaced. "She didn't need to remind me either," he muttered, rubbing his head.

Greg snorted, then lifted an eyebrow. "Well, well. Look who's alive and kicking." He nodded across the room.

Vince followed his gaze in time to see Blaise, looking much the worse for wear which meant he _had_ to be sober, approaching Alex and Tania. He hesitated for a second then took up a position by Alex's side, hovering attentively.

Greg frowned. "Did he ever come back last night?"

"_Move_, boys," a sharp female voice ordered, a slim hand applying pressure to a shoulder each.

They turned, then obediently parted at Pansy's glare. Sniffing she flounced through. Grinning wickedly Vince took a swipe at her backside as she passed. A tiny squeak escaped before she turned and offered then both a rude hand gesture.

"Now, now boys. Let's behave ourselves," Draco drawled from the stairs to the boys' dorms.

Pansy included him in her gesture. "Control your idiots, before the things Tara did to the French give me ideas. I know how you hate people breaking your things."

Draco glanced past her to his cronies. He laughed, once. "Somebody broke those two a long time ago, Pansy. There's not much left to damage."

She scoffed and retreated to her dorm. Rolling his eyes Draco leaned against the wall as his dormmates joined him.

"You wound me, Draco," Vince complained.

"I know," the blonde replied, his silver-grey eyes picking out the new and improved Blaise. "But you bleed so pretty."

They fell into a comfortable silence until the blonde murmured, "I wonder who he got into a fight with."

"Considering how drunk he was," Greg scoffed, amused, "probably a wall."

"A wall with nails then."

Alex moved to stand up and Blaise all but leapt to help her with her chair. Draco snorted. "Well, so long as our resident goodie-goods are distracted would you gentlemen care to assist me with something?"

They looked over at him.

"I've got a couple of ideas about Moody."

Greg lifted his brows in interest. "Hmm. Do you?"

Draco laughed. "Can't let Alex have all the fun, can I?"

* * *

"Oh blast it!" Alex glared down at her quill, the tip of which had just snapped off, right in the middle of the elegant down curve of her Y.

"_Repairo_," a soft tenor murmured instantly, an extra sweep of his wand rounding the splattered ink back into the pen.

"Very neat, thank you," Alex said, looking up at her foster brother with a pointed smile. "But if you wanted to do me a favor you could _sit down_." She pointed at the perfectly empty chair to her right. "Hover if you must but don't _lurk_."

Moving gingerly, an act that had more to do with his hangover than anything she'd done to him, Blaise slowly lowered himself into the chair. Alex couldn't quite manage the smile in the face of his obedience. For days after he snapped out of a slump he'd be overly submissive. In this case it might take longer. But any way around it Alex hated it. Yes, she adored being in charge... but not when everyone just _let her_. And to be completely honest, with herself at least, she hated being the _only_ person willing to take charge. It meant she was the only hope, there was no safety net.

Taking her eyes from Blaise she glanced at her other companion. Tania had a weird diagram made of string pinned to a piece of parchment in her notebook and was staring at it from different angles in silence. Shaking her head Alex bent back over her letter. She'd gotten a letter from Cassandra de Nore over break with Christmas greetings and a summary of the goings on in the large French clan. And while they were only related through Alex's great-great-great-something Grandfather, and thus they _weren't_ Bellmontes, they were about the only blood relations Alex had. She never saw them much, maybe once a year, but Cass, one of the girls around her own age, had always made a point of keeping her filled in.

She grinned as she thought of the other girl, a quick wit with a vicious tongue and she didn't hesitate to put in the details of the revenge they'd taken against the French students. Cass would appreciate it.

"You misspelled jacasser," (1) Blaise murmured, pointing. "It has two S's."

"Blaise," she said lightly, wondering if Snape would get mad if she stabbed him in the eye with her quill, "I would _really_ love some pastries and tea."

He winced. "Sorry." Then obediently took himself off to the kitchens.

Alex groaned faintly as she fixed the misspelled word. She really _hated_ when Blaise lost his nerve to offend her.

"What..."

She looked up to see Tania staring after Blaise's departing back.

The other girl frowned. "What happened to him?"

Alex almost did a happy dance. Unprompted conversation! YES! Instead she sighed. "He was being kind of an idiot and he took offense when I mentioned it to him." She shrugged. "We got into a little fight."

Wide brown eyes flew from the portrait hole to Alex's face. "Are _you_ hurt?" Tania gasped, looking slightly horrified.

"I think I broke a nail," she tried, waving her free hand at the other girl, going for innocent.

Tania blinked exactly once, then calmly shut her book and set it on the table. She pulled one of her legs up onto the seat of her chair and rest her arms atop of her knee. "Why wouldn't he heal himself?"

The unspoken _"Like you did."_ hung in the air. Alex replaced her quill in its holder. She shrugged. "He doesn't like to. He says it helps him get a better grip on reality."

A thin line appeared in the center of Tania's forehead. "Why do you hit him?"

_And I'm going to translate that into "Why do you let him hit you?", but I'll answer both._

She dragged a strand of hair from behind her ear and pulled on it idly. "This may sound strange to you, but Blaise sometimes has thoughts and memories that he can't shake himself free from. It takes getting him very mad, with a dose of physical pain tossed in, to help him snap out of it. The easiest way to help him, that I've found, is to pick a fight and then let it turn into a duel. But it never gets out of control. He's too out of it to be really dangerous and I know what I'm doing from the start.

_Liar, liar, liar!_ a voice in the back of her head taunted viciously. Alex stuffed down the desire to rub her neck defensively.

"Mmm," Tania replied noncommittally. After one last uncertain glance at the door she pulled her book closer and opened it again.

* * *

This was hell. Absolute, mind-melting hell. Blaise sat beside Alex, his guilt keeping him glued to his seat even though he knew she'd forgiven him. Merlin, but he'd never hurt her _that bad_ before! Even if Snape hadn't bitten his head off he'd have felt this bad. It was a hundred times worse knowing that another man knew what he'd done.

But worse than it all was the knowledge that Tania wouldn't look at him or be alone with him. He stared across the room at the tiny figure hunched over a book next to her brother and swallowed hard. Alex would let him pay her back for his failure in the only coin he had but Tania...

He was hit with the desire to scoop her up in his arms, cradle her against his chest and head for the hills where no one, least of all her damn brother, would ever be able to find them. Then he would spend the rest of his life as her willing slave until maybe, someday she might forgive him. He wanted her to smile again, like she had during that last dance. He'd never seen her smile before that, nothing more than a shadow of happiness flitting across her face. It had absolutely shocked him, but now that he knew what was hidden under all that hair he was determined to dig it up again.

If only she'd give him a chance to abase himself before her and beg her forgiveness. An old concept, from the Dark Ages, of a knight swearing himself into the service of a lady he'd wronged was very, very appealing right now.

Blaise looked again, as Hunter leaned over to talk to one of his friends, and spotted Tania sneaking resolutely away toward the portrait. He glanced around but no one else seemed to notice. Blaise leaned in toward Alex. "I'm going for a walk," he murmured.

She nodded, a hint of relief in her eyes as he climbed to his feet. Blaise nearly smirked. Oh if she thought he was giving up this early in the repayment game she was in for a nasty surprise. He was going to hover until Valentine's. But first he has someone else to hover over.

The hallway was silent and deserted when he got out the door and Blaise paused. But turning left only took you to the Great Hall, while right led off to a lot more interesting places. He went right, his soft boots nearly silent on the stone. With his longer strides, and the fact that Tania was clearly sneaking while he wasn't bothering to, it only took him a minute to catch sight of her again. Instead of stopping her then and there he let her continue. As soon as he found a good spot to stop and talk without it looking like he was cornering her he would.

A chill filtered through the air as they walked, her flitting along the edges, him slipping silently behind, that eventually clued him into the fact that they were nearing the outer edges of the castle. Up ahead Tania stopped in front of a simple wooden door and stared at it darkly, her hands on her hips.

"Why are you following me?" she asked the scarred wood, her voice a mix of hesitant exasperation.

Blaise froze, then ran his hands through his hair and grimaced. The move pulled at his scabs and he sent bad thoughts toward Alex's finger nails. A second later regret flooded him and he winced. "I guess I'm not as good at the sneaking as I thought."

Tania traced an ancient mark just to the right of her nose. "The terms 'stampede' and 'oxen' come to mind."

He sniffed and tossed hair he didn't have. "Do not condescend me, just because you're a master of the art form." He took another step toward her, stopping about three feet away. "I was greatly impressed by your escape just now. Even Mama-Hen Hunter didn't notice a thing."

"I..." a slightly strained silence fell.

Blaise crossed his arms loosely over his ribcage and waited. A glimmer of light clued him into the fact that she was watching him as covertly as possible out of the corner of her eye. Okay, someone was going to have to say something in the next ten seconds of things were going to get awkward. He began looking for something that wasn't completely idiotic, and found there wasn't much to work with.

"I was going for a walk!" Tania burst out, as if the words were being forced out of her.

He glanced up and for a second found himself looking her full in the face. She was pale and her eyes were huge as they searched his face for clues to his state of mind. Blaise felt himself relax a little and put a smile on his face, his real one for once and he was surprised at how tentative it was. "May I join you?" he heard himself ask and almost held his breath as he waited for her answer.

She pursed her lips and nodded once, firmly. Turning she fumbled with the metal latch and eased out the door. Trying not to leap forward, Blaise grabbed the edge and almost lost it when he realized how much the wind really wanted to slam it shut again. He tried to imagine how the tiny girl in front of him had managed to open it in the first place. Even as he slipped out it nearly caught the edge of his robes.

Outside was a patch of stone, four feet square then a steep, short flight of stairs all covered with whirling snow. The white powder, hard edged and icy blasted around their heads. He looked down at Tania.

"Are you sure about this?"

She shook her head, holding her hair down with her right hand. "It'll be better up above. The stairs trap the wind."

Resolutely she grabbed the railing with her free hand and started upward. Blaise quickly followed, standing next to her, but one stair lower, just in case. However he needn't have bothered. She made it up without so much as faltering and Blaise mentally smacked himself for underestimating her… especially as she was once again proven right. Up in the open air there wasn't much wind at all, just a whole lot of dark, icy air. Tania glanced around then turned left and headed out. Wondering at her idea of a walk Blaise followed her.

The snow was more crunchy ice than powder, dehydrated by the cold, and easily part way up his shins. Tania was several steps ahead, resolutely pushing her way through snow that was, to her, nearly knee high.

_Why, why, WHY is this girl going for a walk in the middle of winter, in the middle of the night, OUTSIDE in the part of the castle where they don't clear the snow?! Blaise-you-idiot, why must you always get caught up by the strange ones?!_

Wisely Blaise chose not to answer himself. It was a stupid question anyway. The strange ones were more fun. Or at least that's what he always tried to tell himself. But by Merlin he was getting snow in his boots!

"Now, while, as a gentleman, I should wander around forever until you decide to talk to me again I'm not going to," he said, making an effort to catch up with her.

She glanced back at him and for a second Blaise could swear she was laughing. But all she said was, "It only drifts near the door."

_What?_ But he couldn't even finish the thought because half a step later the snow had cleared out to a bare few inches that crunched under his feet. _Why that little..._ he wrinkled his nose at her back. _She _was_ laughing at me!_

Blaise shook his head and dug his hands deeper into his pockets. "Now, as I was saying," he continued as if nothing had happened. "I know I talked to, and got talked at by, Alex. And I know you did. And since we _both_ know Alex has a monumental sized mouth when she _isn't_ trying to help people I think we can assume that we know some things about the other person right now."

Tania snorted, then flashed him a blatantly too-bright smile. "Well, I know you hate pears."

Blaise ignored her and looked up at the blanket of stars. It felt like thorns, tearing at his throat but it came anyway. "My parents hit me," he whispered at the heavens. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Every day of my life and twice on Sundays."

He looked down and found the space beside him empty. Turning he found Tania two steps back, frozen. The expression in her eyes was completely unreadable. She didn't seem to be breathing.

He opened his mouth, but had two false starts before he managed to continue. "They called me things I will never live down and gave me scars I have to hide before I go swimming or use the boys' baths. When I look in the mirror I see the same person you do. I feel that quiet horror that _this _is who I am? _This_ creature?" Blaise found himself reaching a hand for hers and aborted the motion before it became obvious. He stepped forward, just once, instead. "I know how much it takes to wake up in the morning and simply be alive. How could I ever despise you... when we're exactly the same?"

Tania looked up at him, her brown eyes liquid with relief, a horrified, shared pain and briefly, so briefly, hope. She blinked rapidly then stepped forward and took his hand in both of hers.

Blaise didn't even realize he'd been holding his breath until it escaped him in a rush. He shifted so that he held one of her hands in each of his and added in complete seriousness, "If you ask me to, I will give you his head on a silver platter at breakfast tomorrow."

"I-I-I-I..." Tania pulled her hands free and covered her face, shaking her head violently. "Oh _god_!" she wailed in a cracked voice. "You don't hate me!"

Sobs shook her thin frame and Blaise stared in horror.

_Good one, Blaise-you-idiot. You go to cheer up the girl and send her into hysterics instead. Clearly you are loosing your touch. _

He shook off his emotional turmoil in favor of helping. His hands dove into a half dozen pockets in his robes and pants and eventually came up with a handkerchief. Taking her wrist gently, he peeled her hand back from her face, slipped in his handkerchief and slid it back into place. Her fingers wrapped around it and, from what he could tell, put it to good use, but the crying barely slowed.

_Oh, oh, oh SHIT! Where is Alex when you need her?! Alex! Now THERE is a nice sensible woman! She doesn't cry if you hack off a limb with a blunt ax! Oh SHIT!_

A voice in the back of his head whispered a comment about putting snow down the back of her shirt, but Blaise ruthlessly quashed that idea. He wasn't _quite_ that stupid.

_Alright old boy. Get ahold of yourself. Think like Alex if you can't actually have her. Channel the Inner Bellmonte! When I am gushing like a two year old Alex does...What?_

"Well, she normally calls me names and gives me a hug," he muttered under his breath. Merlin, he was an idiot some times. Reaching out he took hold of Tania's elbows, drawing her in and wrapping his arms around her, slowly in case she decided to bolt.

Bolting, it would seem, was not in her plans. As soon as her forehead brushed his shirt Tania buried her face in it, grabbing his robes with all her might and holding on. Blaise pulled her tighter, stopping just short of crushing her.

"Shhh, honey," he whispered into her hair. "It's all okay."

* * *

(1) French for scream


End file.
